


Hiraeth

by DeanstielsDaughter



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Death, Destiel - Freeform, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Future Fic, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Multichapter, Sabriel - Freeform, Samulet Fix-It, What-If, soulpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-19 23:09:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4764491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeanstielsDaughter/pseuds/DeanstielsDaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on a hunt with Sam and Castiel, Dean is put into a coma by a witch and awakens in the tendrils of his own mind. Guided through the twists and turns by an angel named Holly, Dean is shown his wildly unexpected future. Now Dean has a choice, live a life of the unknown when he awakes or play out the future he's been shown? Especially if one shocking event could change his mind?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Coma

Hiraeth- (Noun) A homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past.  
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He could hear their voices, like distant calls in the night. He just couldn't see them. Dean didn't know why this was, all he knew is he was lying on his back in the cold street. His fingers curled against the black concrete, almost trying to pick it up. He didn't believe it was real. Dean's eyes cracked open and he coughed, hard and rough. He looked up to see trees, rustling in the breeze. The sun shone down in gray streams onto the earth. It was hidden behind the low lying clouds. Dean sat up; the street he had been lying on was practically deserted. Not a single car drove down it, only down the surrounding streets and even when the cars did drive by they were almost silent, like ghosts scampering around, afraid of being caught.

Dean could hear the voices of Sam and Castiel. Every time they spoke there was an eerie echo like they were so damn far away from him.

"And what if he doesn't wake up?" Sam said with concern bleeding through his voice, there was the echo.

"Then we prepare for the worst," Castiel said, another echo. "But as of now, don't count your brother out Sam. He's strong. He'll make it out of this alive."

Dean stood and looked around him. Where were Castiel and Sam? They weren't anywhere to be seen. It was as if they speaking from up above him. But that was impossible…wait, maybe it wasn't? Sam's words ran through his mind again. He remembered what had happened. They'd been fighting a witch. Some nasty bitch with a heart of ice. She'd slammed Dean into the wall with a twist of her wrist and almost knocked him out cold, he remembered her chanting something and this white hot light shrouding him, and then all was peaceful like it was now. It wasn't the kind of peaceful Dean wanted though, this kind of peaceful was somehow scary.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered. "Where am I?"

Dean felt the breeze pick up around him, he felt it blow through his hair and caress his cheeks, and it felt like an old friend. Dean shivered. He felt the breeze shoot right through his bones and engulf him. It traveled left, down the barren street and picked up in the nearby park. Dean didn't know why, but something told him to follow it. His feet started moving without his mind even telling them to and he strolled down the street, lined with house. Some were one story, some two stories, some he was sure held stories. They all looked fairly older, but not dilapidated and certainly not old enough to be considered historical. One was on the side of the trees, the others facing the woods that seemed dense and full of their own life.

The park was empty. The swings were blowing slightly back and forth. They creaked for they were made of metal. The other playground equipment, the slides and bridges all connected in an array of plastic and various colors mostly red and yellow, was marked up and written on probably by teenagers not caring the words little kids learned from their writing or saw. There were leaves blowing down the sidewalk leading to the entrance of the park which was surrounded by a short, rusted, chain link fence. Dean looked around him at the various empty benches and play areas. Somehow though, his feet led him to the swings and he sat down.

He'd never been on a swing before. Granted he knew how they worked, but he'd never had the time or the luxury to swing as a kid. There had been an old tire swing behind Bobby's house in the woods that he and Sam would sneak off to and play on when their father ran off on hunts, but tire swings were made for jumping off of. Dean never stayed on it long enough to actually swing. Dean stared down at his feet and observed the mulch underneath them. He imagined what child had sat here time and time again, enough to create a rut where their feet went underneath the swing.

He looked over and there sat a child. He jumped a little; he had sworn the park had been empty a moment ago. The child giggled a little and swung high. His eyes were closed only for a moment before he cracked them open. The child's eyes were astonishing. One eye was crystal blue, like the sky on a normal and sunny day; the other eye was a deep green like the darker grass next to the sidewalk. The child had darker almost black hair and a mess of freckles on his cheeks. He wore old and worn jeans, tennis shoes, an old vintage looking t-shirt with the bat signal from Batman on it and a red hoodie over that. The child was filled with happiness and wonder as he swung back and forth. Dean found himself mesmerized as he watched the child.

What happened next made Dean lose the ability to breathe. He saw a familiar face start approaching: his own. He looked slightly older though, he caught sight of a few gray hairs on his head, but otherwise it was still the same. He wore the same leather jacket, he still had Sam's necklace around his neck, still wore old jeans and boots. Something was different though, the way he walked. He walked without fear, without a gun, practically in hunter's terms: naked. The child jumped off the swing with the same "no fear" attitude Dean saw in himself and ran to the older him. The older him laughed and threw the child into his arms.

"Okay," Dean thought to himself. "I have a child. That's…nice. Wonder which lucky bartender I banged to get that little guy?"

"None of them," a voice said from beside Dean, but Dean was inclined to look towards the older him rather than to the voice. "You should've expected this."

Dean saw Castiel approach the older version of him and smile. Castiel looked happy beyond belief, like the whole weight of Heaven had been lifted off the angel's shoulders. He approached Dean quickly and looked down at the child in Dean's arms. He ruffled his hair and the child smiled up at Castiel. Their eyes matched, at least the child's one eye did. The other one matched…

"Yours." the voice said again, Dean turned his head towards the source. A simple looking girl who looked about twenty, she had brown hair and blue eyes. Her skin was pale like alabaster stone and her eyes shone like the sun despite their color. She wore simple clothes too, a jacket and jeans. She wore no shoes though. Her toenails weren't even painted. She smiled at Dean and sat down on the swing next to him, the one the child had abandoned. "He's yours Dean. I don't think I need to tell you much more, if you've seen the eyes you'll surely figure out the rest."

"I'm not—." Dean was cut off.

"It's not about that," the girl said. "It's about love and companionship. You've found that in him."

"Cas and I, we're," Dean swallowed hard; the wind blew through his hair again. "We're just friends and that's it."

"For now," the girl commented in a soft voice and held onto the chains connecting the swings to the set. "You've got time. Welcome to the future Dean. More specifically yours, if you want it to be."

"M-My future," Dean was shocked, who was this girl and what did she possibly know about his future? "What could you possibly know about me? We've never met before now, unless you were that one girl in Tennessee? Nah she was a bit heavier, but only a bit."

"My name is Holly," the girl said to him, breaking his train of thought. "Holly Ander. I'm an angel."

"Of course," Dean rolled his eyes and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Another angel. Listen sister, whatever it is that you're selling I ain't buying. You angels have messed with my head enough over the years. Especially that archangel brother of yours Gabriel, talk about a royal dick. So whatever lesson you're trying to teach me I'd rather you shove it up your lily white ass."

"There is no lesson to be learned here Dean," Holly said, Dean had gotten up and turned to leave, but her words had stopped him. "There's nothing here, but the future. The future you can have if you go after it."

"So is this one of those bullshit spiritual journeys?" Dean asked.

"Why don't you take the journey first," Holly stood up and stepped closer to Dean, reminding him of the way Castiel used to invade his personal space before they had that conversation. "Then let me know if it was bullshit or not."

Her words were harsh, but Dean wouldn't have expected any less from an angel who probably didn't get out much. They were all sort of robots up there in Heaven. Dean swallowed hard, feeling her eyes staring him down even after he turned around. He could leave right now, walk until he ran out of street, until the wind carried him away, but he realized there was no easy escape from where he was now. That witch had put him here for some reason and he had no way out. He turned around.

"Will you help me get back to Sammy and Cas," Dean asked. "If I do what you ask?"

"Yes Dean," Holly answered. "I will help you return."

"Good because right now," Dean sighed. "You're the best that I've got."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The scene shifted. They were at a hospital. It was crowded and full of people running back and forth between rooms. Holly and Dean walked down the long hallway, it was as good a way to go as any. Dean breathed in the scent of antiseptic and sickness he hated so dearly. He tried to cover his nose, but it didn't help. The smell still permeated through his sleeve. Dean gave up and kept walking. Holly grabbed his jacket arm and stopped him.

"This room," Holly motioned towards it. "Go in."

"Why?" Dean asked.

"Trust me," Holly replied. "You'll be glad you did."

Dean questioned the girl's motives, he had from the moment they'd met at the park, but if doing what she said meant going home then it was worth it. Dean carefully stepped into the room. He found a single bed next to an open window, cracked slightly to let fresh air in. He saw himself again, younger, about his age now. This Dean was in a hospital bed, this Dean was in a coma too, and watching himself was strange.

Watching Castiel watch him was even more strange.

"Visiting hours are almost over sir," a nurse popped her head into the room. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"Please," Castiel pleaded, true worry in his eyes. They shone a little less than normal, not that Dean paid attention to that much detail on Castiel's face. "Please just a few more minutes…"

"Fine," the nurse agreed. "But after that you must leave. It's not my rules, I'm sorry."

A few minutes turned into hours after Castiel made himself invisible to the humans. Even the nurse that had told him to depart couldn't see him now as she turned out the lights. The sun had set and the window was shut. There was an analog clock on the wall that Dean gazed up at, after registering what time it was he turned his attention to the calendar nailed to the wall.

"It's a week after today," Dean said quietly, still in shock. "This happens a week from today."

"Yes it does," Holly said, a glint of mischievousness in her eyes, Dean could tell she wanted to come up with a witty comment, but was holding back. "This Dean is the moment that starts it all, for both parties that is."

"Both parties?" Dean asked.

The scenery changed again and Dean found he was at their motel. He didn't know why he expected anything else. He saw his loyal 1967 Chevrolet Impala sitting in a parking space and his mood lifted a bit. She looked well taken of too.

"That a boy Sammy." Dean chuckled and smiled to himself.

Dean's smile faded when Holly pushed open the door to the motel room he and Sam had rented out. It was dark except for one light over the couch where a figure was hunched up on the couch and asleep. It smelled like whiskey in the room. Sam didn't drink, not like Dean did. Dean approached the figure.

It was Sam. His fingers clung to a book that threatened to fall to the floor. His breaths came out small and quietly. Sam was clearly dreaming. His eyes moved rapidly behind his eyelids. Dean wanted to reach out and grab the book that was about to drop because he knew it would wake Sam up if it did. Someone beat him to the chase though.

Another figure appeared out of the shadows, a figure with dirty blonde hair and golden eyes, and a familiar figure. He reached down and retrieved the book from Sam's hand. He placed it on the table in the kitchen and came back over to Sam. He studied Sam's features intently, as if trying to memorize him before he woke up and left again. The figure looked over at the other chair, a throw blanket rested on the back of it; the figure picked it up and spread it over Sam. Sam stirred.

"Dean—." he mumbled, half awake.

"Guess again," Gabriel answered him. "It's just me."

"Gabri-el?" Sam's voice cracked and he started to get up. Gabriel placed his hands on Sam's shoulders. Dean tensed for a moment and Holly held him in place. He felt fire in his veins when Gabriel touched his brother, but as he kept watching he saw no hostility in Gabriel's gesture or his eyes. Sam met his gaze and Dean saw a sense of security, something foreign to his brother except in Dean's presence.

"Lay back down Sammy," Gabriel replied, gently guiding Sam back onto the couch. "You can see Dean tomorrow. He's sleeping now, like you should be."

"M'tired…" Sam muttered and lay back down. Gabriel watched him fall back asleep. Dean expected some practical joke, which was just like Gabriel. But Gabriel did no such thing. He simply sat down in the chair next to the couch and watched over Sam, like Castiel did Dean.

"He's been taking care of Sam," Holly said to Dean. "While you're gone."

"Really," Dean chuckled. "That's a first. Gabriel's the last person I'd expect to care about someone."

"If you give someone a chance Dean," Holly replied. "They may just surprise you."

"Hey," Dean pointed a finger at her. "What did I say about the lessons thing?"

"Come," Holly motioned for Dean to follow her. "We have much more to see."

"Fine," Dean rolled his eyes. "But I need to get out of here fast. I've got a life to live outside my own head, ya know?"

"Come along Dean." Holly repeated and started walking out of the motel room, Dean caught one last glance at Sam and Gabriel still not believing that could actually happen.

"Alright," Dean agreed and followed after her. "But only if we stop for a cheeseburger along the way."


	2. Cheeseburgers And Hunts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Holly get a cheeseburger, as promised, but even that can't last. It's all in Dean's head after all? Holly shows Dean the hunt that she claims 'starts it all'.

The scenery changed once again and Dean found himself was seated in a red vinyl booth in a diner. It was abuzz with energy and people coming and going out the front door, taking their food and smiling and laughing. Dean looked down after he smelled a delicious aroma and found that a cheeseburger had been placed in front of him without him even ordering it. He beamed and reached out for the burger, taking a giant bite of it.

"Don't expect it to last very long," Dean looked out from behind his food and saw Holly seated across from him, he jumped and rolled his eyes. "It's not real."

"Sure tastes real to me," Dean mumbled through a mouth full of food. "It feels real too."

"Your mind conjured up something it wanted," Holly explained. "You're probably being fed in real life in your comatose state with some kind of feeding tube. Your mind just created something you'd want when you were awake and since you happen to have an affinity for bacon cheeseburgers it chose this place."

"This witch sure knows what's good." Dean smiled a bit, but when he looked over at Holly his smile dropped. "What's wrong?"

Holly was busy watching every human, the couples laughing and smiling as they walked out, looking into each other's eyes, in love. She gazed at the leftovers in white Styrofoam boxes in their hands. Children were coloring on paper place mats, broken crayons staining their hands and the blank white paper. An elderly couple sat, facing one another and smiling. They couldn't stop staring into each other's eyes.

"Nothing…" she replied softly.

"Humanity's a bit," Dean chuckled. "Overwhelming isn't it?"

"Quite." Holly said.

Holly's mannerisms were different than the angels Dean was used to seeing. They seemed more human than the previous winged ones he'd met. Of course he'd only been around Castiel, out of all the angels in Heaven, most of his life so there wasn't much to compare her to. Gabriel was wild and boisterous, obnoxious was more the key word. Castiel was more reserved, but if provoked he could the scariest thing Dean had ever seen in his life. Holly reminded him more of Castiel than Gabriel. He looked away from her and down to his plate. His burger was gone.

"We should go." Holly stood up and re-adjusted her jacket on her shoulders. Dean looked over at her hoodie. It had a small red stain on the pocket that he didn't remember from before. He cocked his eyebrow and looked over at her.

"You've got something on your jacket." Dean pointed to it.

"Oh," Holly seemed quick to answer. "It's just ketchup. Thanks though."

Dean was about to question her, but suddenly she was gone. The people around him in the diner were frozen. He was standing, alone, and the only one mobile. He turned around, looking around him, terrified to even move. Dean looked in front of him, it seemed to glimmering. It was like something clear was in front of him. He tapped it and saw a small crack appear in the air in front of him. He tapped it again and the crack became bigger. He scraped at it with his fingernail and the piece of clear area started to shatter further and fall away. There was an image of a tree trunk, some leaves, and some black concrete of a street. Dean, confused, jumped and looked around in awe and found he could reach his hand right through. He looked up and saw another crack forming and growing, forming and growing. The crack grew until it shattered like the rest and the clear area was gone, the diner was gone, leaving Dean in the middle of a street, like when he had arrived in the tendrils of his mind the first time.

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out," Dean turned around abruptly to see Holly standing probably not but 15 feet from him, down the street a bit and staring. Dean rubbed his cheek and sighed before walking over towards her. "It's common to dream lands."

"Shattering glass?" Dean asked.

"It represents the barrier between one memory or dream and the next," Holly explained. "Since you're in a coma you're in a state of constant dreaming per se. It's a common archetype."

"You're smart." Dean replied with a small smile.

"I learned from the best." Holly said. Her blue eyes met Dean's and then she turned her attention to a house down the street. It looked dilapidated and most certainly haunted. The wood was falling off in strands and shingles littered the yard. The white paint was peeling and the porch looked about ready to cave in on itself. The numbers on the front: 2340 were metal and only one had fallen off into the yard, leaving behind a permanent mark on the outside wall, a circle on the paint remained where the zero had been. Holly started to approach it, Dean ran after her. One look at the place had given him the creeps. He couldn't understand why she was just waltzing onto the porch steps. 

"It doesn't look safe…" Dean touched her shoulder, it felt remarkably cold. He let go when she jerked her head back to look him in the eyes.

"Has that ever stopped you before?" she asked.

"I didn't mean for me," Dean replied. "I meant…"

"I'm a big girl," Holly remarked. "I'm not afraid of a ghost or an old house. Besides, I'm an angel. There's nothing in here or in your mind that can hurt me."

Dean thought about what she'd said. Maybe he did need to calm down a bit, he'd touched shattered glass. He'd peeled it away without a single cut. This was the future. This was also in his mind. Whatever happened here hadn't happened in the waking world yet or potentially wouldn't happen at all. It was the first time in Dean's life he'd felt some sense of invincibility. Holly was right; nothing here could hurt him or her. He let go of her arm and let her proceed.

Holly took the steps one by one as if she'd walked them one million times before and Dean reluctantly followed. The interior of the house wasn't as bad as it seemed, the floors were a bit warped, but they were otherwise in place and stable. The kitchen was outdated and full of appliances no one had used in years. The stairs were rickety, but stable. The rooms were empty of all furniture. All was quiet, until Dean heard a bump from above them. It sounded like a scuffle was occurring. He reached for a nonexistent gun and immediately felt naked when it didn't fall into his palm.

"What in the hell…" Dean mumbled to himself. He stood still for a moment, but eventually curiosity got the best of him. He fondled for his knife in the back of his belt loop and found it too was absent from it's rightful place. Dean cursed, but continued forward. It wasn't the first time he'd hunted without a weapon. Holly stood in place, almost as if she was encouraging him to go first. Like a mother encouraging her child to go on the bus for the first time on their first day of preschool. But this wasn't blocks and counting, Dean was terrified of the things in his mind. The monsters that probably lurked in the shadows had more than likely been waiting for this moment their whole non-existence.

Dean took the steps slowly. They creaked under his weight. His brain went into hunting mode. He forgot he wasn't in the real world, he forgot this was his brain, he even forgot about Holly for a moment. His knife was held in steady in his hand as he rounded the corner and into the hallway. There were four rooms on the top floor. Three bedrooms and one bathroom, the bedrooms were dusty and deserted and one of the rooms was missing a door though the brass hinges still remained. The floors were all wood, wood that hadn't been treated in a long time. The light streamed down the hall from a room where the door was cracked slightly. Dean's knife glistened in it. He approached the door and threw it open.

He was greeted by himself, being thrown across the room and into the wall. A cloud of dust erupted from the floorboards and the future him coughed and groaned. There was a nice dent left in the wall. Sam stood across the room, iron tool from the fireplace downstairs in his hand and a nice gash leaking blood on his forehead, above his left eye. He panted and stood rigid, at attention, preparing for the angry spirit to show itself again. Dean also laid eyes on Castiel, who stood, ready as well. Castiel looked about as tired as Sam. The ghost appeared again before them and let out an awful shriek.

"Hey," Castiel held up an old doll. It was Victorian and cracked across the hauntingly gray eye. "Assbutt!"

The ghost turned its head and Sam motioned for Castiel to continue with what he'd planned to do. Castiel lifted his hand to the doll preparing to smite it in a fiery flame, but the ghost girl had other plans. She came at Castiel, shrieking again, and stuck her arm right through him. Castiel yelped, gasped in pain and doubled over. Blood poured from the wound in his chest and he fell to the ground in a heap.

"Dean, a little help here?!" Sam yelled and Dean, painfully, reached his lighter and tossed it to Sam. Sam made a beeline for the doll and successfully grabbed it, sliding over to it as if he were sliding into home plate. Sam lit the doll's hair on fire and the ghost girl shrieked again, but this time she disappeared into a plume of smoke and fire.

Sam breathed out a sigh of relief and leaned his head back against the dirty wall as the future Dean struggled to stand. The future Dean rubbed his back and coughed again. He looked over at Castiel and fear clouded everything else in his brain.

"Cas!" Future Dean shouted so loud that Dean could've sworn it had shaken the whole house down to its foundation.

Future Dean ran over to Castiel and rolled him over on his side. The angel was out cold and bleeding, but alive. Dean breathed a sigh of relief, but he feared if they didn't help Castiel fast enough things would turn bad.

"Sam," Future Dean called out. "Help me!"

Sam lifted his head and saw the damage that had been done. He clambered up from the floor and moved over towards Future Dean and Castiel. Sam helped Future Dean lift Castiel and carry him, carefully but quickly, to the Impala. From there they placed Castiel in the back seat and made sure he was comfortable before Dean jumped into the driver's seat with Sam in the passenger side and sped off towards their motel room. They zoomed by so fast that the street sign almost twirled around. Maple Street.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean found he was somewhere else once again. He was getting kind of sick of not being able to stay in one place at one time. This time it was another motel, no surprise there. This was different though; there was this aura in the air. Something Dean couldn't explain.

"This is the moment." Holly interrupted his train of thought and he jumped, grabbing his heart in fright. "This is the moment that changes your life Dean."

"Give a guy a warning next time," Dean breathed out. "You're worse than Cas."

Holly's expression changed for a split second to something Dean couldn't explain, but it quickly changed back to her usual monotone, melancholy, look. Dean could feel something powerful in the room, something unwavering. And he wanted to know what it was.

"Well go on," Holly waved him along. "Don't let me stop you."

Dean waited a moment, looking back at her, before proceeding towards the motel room, his feet guiding him. The door opened, as if by magic, and he was inside. Dean saw only one bed, but there was an adjoining room that was connected to the room by a door. Dean didn't know what had possessed him and Sam to get a room like this, unless of course that was the only room left in the motel in the future, or some other reason. Dean found Sam in the front part of the room, lifting up his shirt and assessing the damage. He had two nasty bruises on his side and one cut, but other than that he would be fine. Sam winced when his shirt touched them as he put it back down.

"Take it off Sammy," a whistle and laughter followed the statement and Gabriel appeared on the foot of Sam's bed. Sam stood in front of the mirror on the wall. "Too shy huh?"

"Shut up," Sam said, rolling his eyes and making sure his shirt was pulled down far enough. The last thing he needed was Gabriel's eyes eating him alive. He didn't want to fuel his imagination in any way. "We could've used your help you know?"

"And wreck a beautiful face like this," Gabriel drew a circle in the air in front of his face and smiled. "I was occupied."

"Yeah," Sam sat down next to him, keeping a bit of distance, but still dangerously close. "So was I, defeating psycho ghost girl number fifty thousand."

Sam huffed and pulled off his boots, pain evident in his every movement. Gabriel watched him struggle for a moment before rolling his eyes and grabbing Sam's wrist. He lifted Sam's arm out of the way and touched his hand to Sam's side. Sam tried to protest, but instead he whined when he felt white hot heat sear through him and his bruises disappeared.

"You're welcome," Gabriel said. "Consider it payment for leaving you guys hanging."

Sam grunted in reply, he was still getting used to having the archangel around and healing him none the less.

"How's my brother?" Gabriel asked. "Is Dean tending to him like he's some old lady?"

"He's bandaged him up until Cas can heal himself," Sam explained. "He's in the room with him now."

Dean walked past the two of them, he stopped though. He saw something in Sam's eyes. A glint, a filmy layer, like he was dazed and Dean knew that look very well.

"Oh hell no," Dean exclaimed. "Sammy no, c'mon this guy killed me like how many times in one Tuesday?! Well, multiple Tuesdays. Still, Sammy c'mon man…he's…he's the freakin Trickster for God's sake!"

"We can't help who we fall for," Holly stepped closer to Dean as he watched Sam look at Gabriel. Gabriel was hardly paying attention to Sam's glances, but Dean could tell his brother was pining a bit. "He's good to Sam, good for him too. He's helped him a bit. He's been there for him."

"I'm always there for Sam." Dean glared at Gabriel, though he couldn't see him.

"It's different," Holly said. "You're his brother. Gabriel's his…friend."

"Some friend," Dean scoffed. "What 'friend' kills his friend's brother repeatedly just for kicks?"

"I'll let Gabriel tell you the answer to that one," Holly replied and turned towards the closed door to Dean and Castiel's room. "Go on Dean."

Dean walked over to the door and it creaked, almost as if it were inviting him in to watch. He saw Future Dean walking from the bathroom and over to Castiel. Castiel was lying, splayed out on the bed. His trench coat and shoes had been removed, his dress clothes as well, leaving him in nothing but a blood stained white t-shirt and boxers. Dean himself stepped back as if he were standing in his own way as Future Dean walked in front of him to the side of the bed. Future Dean sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. He rubbed his hand from his forehead to his chin and closed his eyes. Castiel shifted slightly on the bed and opened his.

"D-ean…" Castiel croaked out, turning his head towards his friend.

"Cas," Future Dean jumped forward, concerned. "Cas man, how are ya?"

"I am fine Dean," Castiel replied as he looked down at the bandages. "I promise…"

"You couldn't possibly heal yourself right away," Future Dean explained. "Not with all the blood you lost. I had to bandage you up. Sorry I stripped ya without a tip."

Future Dean laughed at his own joke, but it fell on deaf ears. Castiel cocked his head in confusion.

"Never mind." Future Dean chuckled. "Are you in pain?'

"No Dean," Castiel answered. "I am not."

"Don't ever do that again ya hear me?" Future Dean's expression turned serious. "Don't. I'm not going through that again; I thought I lost you today."

"Dean it's impossible for you to-" Castiel was cut off.

"Damn it Cas," Future Dean exclaimed and Dean jumped. "Just listen okay?! I can't, I won't go through this ever again! I won't lose you over something as stupid as a hunt! I won't lose you over anything not as severe either! I want you…to stay Cas. I need you to stay. I can't let you go. I—"

"Dean," Castiel sat up and leaned forward. "You won't…"

"But," Future Dean stammered.

"You won't," Castiel got closer; his lips grazed Future Dean's cheek. "You could never lose me. Not even if you tried."

Dean almost went pale and backed out of the room.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

"I am not gay first of all," Dean yelled at Holly. "And second of all, Cas is my friend!"

"Did I say either of those things was relevant or mattered," Holly asked him. "Nobody ever said you were gay and he being your friend shouldn't matter at all. Most people start off as friends."

"But he's," Dean's voice went up an octave. "He's a guy!"

"Dean," Holly stepped closer, she clearly lacked knowledge on personal space like Castiel once had. "I said it once and I'll say it again, you can't help who you fall for. Has your brother ever been known to mess around with guys before?"

"Well I don't know about what he did in college, but knowing Sam…maybe?" Dean mumbled.

"Angels," Holly had this almost warrior-like look in her eyes, the same look Castiel had given Dean many a time when they'd first met. "They are balls of light. You fell in love with a ball of light Dean. Those blue eyes, they're Castiel's, those black wings are his too. The vessel he chose is irrelevant. You fell in love with what was inside of Jimmy Novak. Isn't that enough? Why is that never enough?"

Dean swallowed a lump in his throat. He honestly couldn't argue with what Holly was saying. Dean couldn't deny his obvious (platonic, he swore) attraction towards Castiel. The man was interesting; he was an angel for God's sake. Dean couldn't understand what people were seeing though. He'd never known what love felt like, at least not the kind of love a man had for a woman, or in this case a man for a…ball of light. He'd never experienced it before, but as Dean looked at his arm at the spot where Castiel had gripped him tight he felt small tendrils of emotion shoot through him. The raised red hand print had slowly faded over the years. It had become a white scar in the shape of the hand Castiel had used to grip Dean tight and raise him from perdition. Still, Dean had never forgotten about it. Some days he swore he could still feel the sting.

"Just keep your mind wide open," Holly urged him. "And never be afraid of any opportunity. This opportunity may be different than what you're used to but I assure you, it's worth it."

Dean contemplated Holly's words; they were streaming through him like water in a sifter. One million thoughts buzzed through his head at once. Castiel, he loved him, in the future he loved Castiel. Maybe even now he loved Castiel? Maybe all along he'd grown to love Castiel…?

As Dean turned his head to see Future him embracing Castiel in a loving hug and he felt the tendrils of emotion pulling at him again. Almost as if he wanted that now, almost as if he wanted what he had here in general. All he knew was that before he had time to register what he felt about it all, the scenery changed again and Dean found himself facing the next part of his supposed future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	3. House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is shown his future home with Castiel. Holly and him meet up at the diner again for more 'food'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This story is set during Season 9 and a bit after. In this story what happened in the Season 9 finale never happened to Dean, neither did most of the Season 9 plot since in my opinion, it mostly sucked. If you have not seen Season 9 I don't recommend reading further because there are a few spoilers, so unless you've seen it or don't care go on ahead.

Dean found he was once again in the middle of the street. It seemed to be a common theme of his future, streets leading to unknown locations, it was kind of poetic in a way. He felt the breeze pick up again and also the need to pull his jacket closer to his body. It was clearly Autumn, wherever this was in his future. At this point in his future he'd come out of the coma he'd been put in obviously, he assumed Sam and Gabriel were still buddy-buddy, and he and Castiel were more than just a couple of chums. It was a confusing future at that, not necessarily scary just new, different. Dean was never one to cope well when things became different.

"I figured we'd flash ahead a few years," Holly appeared next to him, he'd grown used to her flying in out of nowhere and shook it off like he normally did with Castiel. "Just so things would stay interesting as you put it."

"Hey now don't skip around too much," Dean said. "This is my future after all."

"What I skipped was not of import," Holly replied, she looked a bit older than before, but Dean played it off as a trick of his eyes. "There was a hunt here, a salt and burn there, motels, bad food, angels, etc, nothing of too much significance that it can't be skipped over."

"Uh huh," Dean took her word for it. "So where exactly are we now?"

"You should know Dean," Holly motioned down the road. "Look around you. Doesn't anything seem familiar?"

Dean looked around. The street looked like any other street, except the deserted factor. There were houses lined up and down the road, with sort of maintained lawns. The grass had the occasional weed popping up. Some of the houses were badly painted. Some were brick. It didn't seem like a bad neighborhood, just not one that would make any impression on anyone. Something about it did seem familiar though. Dean cast his glance on the green metal street sign after it creaked a bit in the wind.

Maple Street.

Dean's stomach did a small leap, not out of fear or excitement, but more out of recognition.

"Go on," Holly urged him. "Down the street a bit."

Dean walked slowly, his breaths catching in his throat as he did. His hands were nestled deep in his pockets and his boots felt heavy on his feet. He stopped when he reached the house he'd seen before: 2340 Maple Street. At first he didn't know what the difference was or why he was there. What difference had a few years made? When he saw the 'For Sale' sign with a 'SOLD' one plastered over it though, he somehow knew.

"Okay keep 'em closed," Dean jerked his head in the direction of his voice and saw Future Dean leading Castiel, whose eyes were closed, towards the house. "No peeking."

"I am not peeking as you say Dean," Castiel explained. "Although I really do not understand how closing my eyes is of import."

"You're real funny Cas," Future Dean stopped them right next to Dean, although Dean was invisible to the pair. "You know that?"

"But Uriel is the funniest angel in the Garrison," Castiel started to say before Future Dean told him to open his eyes. "Ask anyone—"

Castiel paused, taking in the house, the yard, the real estate sign. He turned to Future Dean, cocking his head and looking confused in typical Castiel fashion.

"What do you think?" Future Dean smiled big, excitement evident in his voice.

"I don't understand," Castiel replied. "Why are you taking me to where we hunted that ghost girl Dean?"

"Cas," Future Dean chuckled. "C'mon man, the significance of this place? Dude, it's where we first…where I first realized I couldn't live without you. I was driving through town again one time a couple months ago and I saw that it was up for sale. I played a shit ton of pool games and hustled so much, but I bought it Cas. I bought it for you and me and Sam and Gabriel. We don't have to go home to motels anymore unless we want to and I don't see why we would. Cas it's ours."

Castiel smiled when he saw Future Dean's smile widen.

"W-We have a home. Finally we have a home." Future Dean stepped closer to Castiel and wrapped him in a hug.

"Dean," Castiel smiled into Future Dean's shoulder. "It's…it's perfect. I mean this; this is what you and Sam have always wanted. Somewhere to call home. I'm glad you've found it."

"C'mon," Future Dean ran up the steps, practically flying up them. "I gotta show you the inside, I mean I know you've seen it, but…I have plans!"

Castiel laughed, Dean hadn't heard an honest to goodness laugh out of the angel…ever. Not including his visit to 2014 via Zachariah. Future Dean laughed too. Dean felt as though he was staring at a manufacturing error. This was him. This was Future him. Why didn't it feel real?

"It does funny things to people," Holly came up beside him, staring at the house as if it were her long lost friend. It took her a moment to break her trance, a moment of Dean giving her a confused look. "Love that is. It changes you."

"And I suppose you'd know," Dean replied sarcastically. "I thought angels weren't supposed to fall?"

"If Castiel did it," Holly said defensively. "Any angel can."

"Look, don't get your panties in a bunch," Dean threw his hands up in the air. "I didn't mean you couldn't you just seem so…"

"Young?" she asked, finishing his exact thought.

"Yeah…" Dean nodded.

"Well I am young," Holly replied. "But I've seen love. Real love. It's powerful and it's divine. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed."

Dean backed up slightly. He hadn't meant to offend her in any way. How was he to know she'd know about love? God knows where she'd seen it, hopefully she hadn't been exposed the same way Castiel had: the pizza man, but still. She stayed silent for a moment before beckoning Dean to follow her up the steps.

"Come," she motioned to him. "There's more inside."

Dean followed her up the creaking steps. He remembered the inside well. The peeling paint on the wooden surfaces was peeling worse now, but it was fixable. The walls were probably loaded with asbestos. The stairs looked older, less taken care of than they had looked before, but again, fixable. Dean could see a half decent house just by looking at it. He'd always dreamed of fixing up something like this, somewhere he and Sam could live out their glory days without fear of someone else sleeping or doing worse things in their bed before them. No more yellow sheets, no more moldy walls, no more loud neighbors, no more motels, no more sleeping in the Impala, this was home now. This was what Dean had wanted his entire life.

"You and I can have one room," Dean heard Future Dean's voice echo from upstairs. "Sam can have one room, Gabriel can have one room. It's perfect! We have a basement for weapons storage and other stuff like that and there's a living room, a full kitchen, the things we could do to this place!"

"Dean," Castiel chuckled. "Slow down."

"That's just it Cas," Future Dean laughed, grabbing Castiel around the waist and pulling him closer to him. "I can't slow down, no matter how hard I try to and honestly I don't think I want to slow down. I've been in a rut my entire life, the hunter's rut. Here's the thing Cas, I haven't lived, not really."

"Dean on the contrary," Castiel replied. "I'd say you've lived almost half of your life by now. It's not what most people would call unfulfilled. You've helped people; you've saved so many with so little thanks."

"Cas I haven't lived the normal life that I want to," Dean replied. "I want to settle down. I want a home. Sure I want to hunt, but I've just bought us a place we can call home for once. Don't you want a place you can call home again?"

Castiel looked up, as if he were looking to the Heavens. Future Dean was right; Metatron had taken away Castiel's home. The matter had been fixed in the last few years, sure, but Heaven had never felt the same after Metatron's defeat. He was rotting in jail as they spoke, but he'd created such a mess of Heaven it wasn't even worth restoring anymore. The angels still lived there; they still did the work of their Father even though he was undeniably absent, but they absently walked along unable to process the damage that had been done over the years and how their Father hadn't done a damn thing to fix any of it.

"I suppose I do Dean," Castiel replied. "It just…doesn't feel like home anymore."

Dean knew exactly how Castiel felt and Future Dean's reasoning for the house. Dean wouldn't have ever considered settling down anywhere anytime soon if he hadn't seen this. He'd never felt ready, he'd never felt like there was any reason for him to until now. He saw the smile on Future Dean's face as he looked at the house, at Castiel. Dean had been denying himself something he'd desired for so long that it had twisted inside of his brain and laid dormant.

"Sometimes we don't know what we want," Holly said, adding another quote of life experience into Dean's brain. "Until we go for it."

"Well aren't you just a walking book of positive thoughts aren't ya?" Dean replied sarcastically. "Where do you keep it all?"

"I believe it's always nice to be positive," Holly explained. "In the event that something horrid does happen, you can see the good in life before it does. Why do you think I'm only showing you the important parts Dean? They're the good. You need to see the good that's going to come out of your life."

As Dean looked over at Future Dean and Castiel, Future Dean leading Castiel into the living room and pointing out where they could have this and this and even maybe have a couch or a television if they were lucky, he felt this warmth spread through his chest. Jealous warmth. He didn't quite know why he felt jealous of himself, but all he knew was that he wanted this. Now. If only he could wake up just a bit faster.

"Come on," Holly grabbed his arm. "We need to keep moving. You've got a lot to see before you wake up."

Dean allowed himself to be guided by the angel, who started to lead him out of the house. Dean glanced back at Future him and Castiel. Future Dean had Castiel's hands in his and the pair was staring into each other's eyes, smiling at one another. Their faces moved as close as they could, just as Dean was forced to leave the house and the scenery changed once again.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

They were at the diner again. The atmosphere there hadn't changed, except this time Dean wasn't staring a cheeseburger in the face, but instead found he was staring forward at another booth. A little girl sitting, pouting, was sitting by herself. The girl had soft brown hair and piercing blue eyes, she looked about eight. Her hair was stick straight and ordinary, but in the most charming and beautiful way. Her face was downcast like she was upset. She was wearing an ordinary brown and pink dress, not too frilly, not too plain. It fit her perfectly. Her shoes were brown flats, complimenting the dress. Dean actually felt sort of sorry for her being stuck in his limbo feeding grounds, until she looked up at the man that sat across from her: Future Dean.

"Now," Future Dean had been carrying a tray with two ice cream sundaes on it. He set his down in front of him and another one in front of the little girl. He also pulled a large paper placement and a package of crayons from the tray and set it aside. "You wanna tell me what happened princess?"

"Billy was mean to me again…" the girl said quietly, still not making eye contact with Future Dean. "He called me an ugly face."

"Ah c'mon kiddo," Future Dean leaned closer to her and lifted up her chin. Her face was soaked with tears. "Chin up. Look he's just a jealous kid okay? You're not ugly and don't ever let some jerk tell you that you are."

"But you're s'posed to say that," the girl sighed. "You're my daddy. You're s'posed to call me pretty even if you don't mean it…"

Dean was shocked. Another kid? He had a daughter too? He'd always wanted a little girl.

"What makes you think I don't mean it huh?" Future Dean asked her. "I mean it with every bone in my body. You're my beautiful baby girl and I don't want anyone crushing your spirit. Billy, he's just jealous of your beautiful face, that and he got it confused with his ugly heart."

The girl smiled a little, tears still running down her face. She sniffled and Future Dean handed her some napkins.

"Blow your nose." Future Dean said and she did, blowing her nose and wadding up the tissues. "And smile why don't ya? Sad people don't get to enjoy their ice cream as much."

"No," the girl cried out and reached for the glass full of semi-melted vanilla ice, chocolate syrup, and a ripe red cherry on top. "I want my ice cream and my cherry! Daddy, please!"

"Since you asked so nicely," Future Dean smiled and handed her the ice cream sundae, she smiled appreciatively. "But ice cream's not a cure all you know?"

Future Dean had opened the pack of crayons and smirked at his daughter. The girl smirked back and neglected her rapidly melting ice cream to grab the purple crayon. Future Dean chose the green crayon to start with. His daughter begun to draw in the upper right hand corner of the paper, a purple moon.

"Someone once told me that moon couldn't be purple," Future Dean's daughter said to him with a bigger smirk. "I told them to suck it."

"That's my girl," Future Dean laughed. "Although next time let's use a nicer word in school okay? I don't need you getting in too much trouble."

"Yes daddy." His daughter laughed at his worried face.

"That's my little princess." Future Dean smiled brightly.

Dean chuckled a bit. His daughter's wit truly matched his own in every aspect, but she had the calm of Castiel. Dean stared until he felt a presence behind him. Holly stood and stared too. Her stare seemed a bit melancholy though. Dean could imagine why, many angels wanted what humans had and what some of their fallen brothers and sisters had gained during their time on earth.

"The future and past can have hiccups," Holly said. "You weren't supposed to know this yet, but you have a daughter as well as a son. You have her first though. I suppose you'll want to know how all of this happens after your little tube feeding session in the hospital in real life is over with?"

"Yes," Dean nodded, almost in a trance by how he had a daughter. "Please…"

"You should eat first." Holly suggested. "Before the opportunity dissipates again."

"Good idea." Dean turned, trying to keep his eyes on Future Dean and his daughter, but Holly had chosen a booth on the other side of the diner, so it was near impossible to see them. The waitress greeted the pair almost immediately and Dean ordered the same thing as last time. "You sure you don't want anything?"

"I ordered already," Holly cocked her head a little, confused, Dean chuckled a bit it reminded him of Castiel. "You really do have an issue with details don't you?"

"If you spend too much time on the details sweetheart," Dean replied, a bit annoyed that Holly was picking him apart. "You don't ever get to live."

"And if you spend no time whatsoever on the details," Holly defended her point, looking Dean in the eyes. "You always miss something."

Dean was about to counteract her point, but the speedy waitress came back with a tray holding two fat and juicy cheeseburgers. Dean was a bit surprised at Holly's choice, but he figured angels never really got their hands on a good burger in Heaven so he didn't question it too much. He picked up the burger and took a huge bite out of it. Holly followed suit. They both wiped their chins as burger juice dripped down.

"Real graceful sweetheart," Dean said after he swallowed. "Well if you want to appear human that's the way to do it."

"You're not any better," Holly gave him a look. "Besides I just…really like burgers."

"You're worse than Cas." Dean closed his eyes when he laughed, after he opened them though Holly was gone once again and so was his burger. "Oh c'mon! I didn't even get to—"

He then looked over to the side of him and realized reality was cracking again. He was barely able to get up from his seat before the area crumbled and he was faced with the next bit of his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	4. Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is shown one of Castiel's greatest desires. Sam and Gabriel work on their would be relationship.

The clear glass force field was back, the people had frozen like they were a television show that could be paused, and Dean touched along the crack that had begun to form. He reached his hand out and started to peel away at it. He revealed an empty field. He peeled all around him until the cracks eventually did the job themselves and the diner shattered away and he was standing in an open empty field. Dean turned in a circle, looking around; there was one lone tree, crooked and bent over and miles upon miles of tall yellowish grass. He heard a flutter of wings.

"I figured we should start a few years after you bought the house," Holly came in from behind and Dean spun to face her. "It's been about ten year's time in your future since then. You and Castiel are very happy together, but there's one thing you guys have been discussing for those last few ten years. Kids."

"You mean, Cas and I are together," Dean said breathlessly. "Like together, together?"

"You had a small ceremony," Holly explained. "In the salvage yard of your dear departed friend Bobby. Sam and Gabriel came, Jody Mills too along with Alex. It wasn't much, but it was what you both wanted, you danced late into the night and had many laughs with family and friends. The courthouse took care of the technicalities."

Dean's expression went south at the mention of Gabriel's name, as it usually always did.

"Gabriel may have been resurrected by Metatron for all the wrong intentions," Holly said, almost as if she was pleading to Dean. "But in the end he stayed. He stayed with Sam while you were in the hospital. Sam found a kindred spirit in Gabriel, he saw himself and he saw how Gabriel could make him stronger even after tearing him down so many times over the years. He took care of him Dean; he's still taking care of him in the future. They're happy like you and Castiel."

"I know, it's just hard to understand," Dean sighed. "Sammy hated him too for a long time."

"Things change," Holly replied. "People do too. Gabriel was like shooting stars lighting up the sky to Sam when you, his world, went dark for awhile."

"I distinctly remember telling you back at the park," Dean berated his point into her. "No lessons."

"They're a part of life," Holly said. "Father knows I've learned mine."

"Fine," Dean said. "Just show me what happens now."

"Impatient as always." Holly remarked and grabbed Dean. The time changed to night and he was suddenly standing in a church. It was barely standing. The paint was peeling as badly as the house Future Dean had bought had been. The windows were boarded up, the cross on top was barely hanging on, and it looked creepy central. The door was cracked open and a light poured out. Someone was inside. Dean's feet betrayed him once again and he found he slipped through the front door with ease. The inside of the church was dark and drafty. He could feel the chilly air from outside seeping in through the cracks and crevices that had been left behind by memories of the past. Dean looked around him at the rotting red pews and the Bibles, worn and yellow from exposure to air for years without a single hand touching them. Dean could only imagine whose fingers had flipped the pages, whose unruly children had run up and down the aisles. It was kind of sad in a way, how the future moved on sometimes without any regard to the past.

Dean sat down on the end of one of the aisles. The pew was cold. He looked forward, saw Castiel, and held his breath.

"Oh Father," Castiel was kneeling and praying, his eyes closed. The trench coat ruffled on his shoulders like it always did when he sat down. "Please. Send me the angel. Send me the answer I so desire. Please Father do not neglect my wishes."

Dean felt a new energy fill the room. The pews seemed less chilly, the drafts all but disappeared, and an angel appeared before Castiel. The angel had fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes. Her vessel appeared to be at least twenty three years old. She wore a green long sleeved shirt and black pants. She wore no shoes. There were remnants of the forest in her hair, little twigs and blades of grass. She smiled.

"Annahita," Castiel acknowledged her. "Angel of Fertility."

"Castiel," she nodded, acknowledging him back. "Angel of Thursday. We have not spoken in awhile. How are you?"

"I've been better," Castiel got to his feet and cocked his head slightly at her. "You haven't changed at all."

"I should hope not," Annahita picked a few of the twigs out of her hair. "I am the angel of new life. It is a constant excitement; I have no need to change the ways in which I feel."

"I prayed to Father," Castiel explained. "So that I may speak with you, regarding just that."

Dean stood, wanting to get closer, wanting to ask Castiel what he was doing, but he remembered it was the future in his mind and that his words would fall on deaf ears. He sat back down and listened further.

"You wish to have a miracle blessed upon you," Annahita asked, her smiling widening. "Oh this is glorious news Castiel! Glorious news!"

"Please Annahita," Castiel said. "The Righteous Man and I wish to have our own child. We want him or her to be made of us. Father has these powers I realize, but you are the only one who can convince him it is of import to us. He tends to turn a blind eye to me lately…"

Castiel trailed off, it hurt thinking about his Father in such a way, but Heaven had been corrupted now and there was no way it could ever go back to the way it was before the angels had first visited earth after Castiel had rescued Dean from Hell. Metatron had secured that. Annahita placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder and he looked back at her.

"Father always has the best intentions for all of us Castiel," Annahita explained. "Even his 'black sheep' children."

Dean swallowed hard, he could relate to being a black sheep. He'd felt like one enough in his life.

"You've had a piece of the Righteous Man in you ever since you rebuilt him," Annahita explained. "If I could combine the piece of his soul with your grace I could easily create a child. It would take a nine month period, the same as humans and it would be done in Heaven since you and The Righteous Man are both male. In the end the child would be delivered by me to your doorstep."

"So that's where the stork myth must've come from…" Dean muttered to himself.

"If that's what it takes then I humbly accept" Castiel bowed his head to her then stood back up straight. "Dean talks of children all the time. We planned to adopt, but we've been discouraged and turned down thus far. You're our last hope."

Annahita's eyes flashed white and she reached into Castiel's essence. Castiel grunted and cried out. His face contorted in pain and his mouth fell open until Annahita retracted her hand and in it she held what Dean assumed to be Castiel's grace. Annahita held it in her open palm. It swirled in front of them and then upwards and dissipated into nothingness.

"It is done." Annahita nodded with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes.

Castiel seemed shocked that it was actually happening now. Annahita smiled and slowly as Castiel backed away, almost tripping over the steps as he went, and Annahita disappeared as though she'd never been there at all. Dean felt Holly's eyes on him and suddenly she was right beside him. Castiel left the scene and the light from all of the candles he'd lit faded. The church was abandoned once again except for Dean and Holly.

"He prays to her," Holly explained. "She gives you both what you want in the end."

"I can't imagine me and Cas with kids," Dean chuckled. "I'm a horrible role model. I wasn't even the best one for Sammy."

"You'll do better than you think," Holly replied. "You shall see."

Dean was transported to the house that he'd bought for him, Castiel, his brother and Gabriel. The downstairs light was on the living room and one was on upstairs. Dean and Holly entered through the front door and Dean looked over in the living room to see Sam, asleep on a ratty but comfortable looking couch. His hair was covering his closed eyes and once again in his hand that was falling off of the couch he held a book. Gabriel observed him and came closer, taking the book from him and placing it on the coffee table. Sam stirred and woke up.

"This is becoming a regular occurrence Sam," Gabriel chuckled a bit, Sam still wasn't used to the archangel being around even though it'd been a few good solid months and he wasn't used to being called Sam by him either. "You're gonna give yourself carpal tunnel one of these days."

"What time is it?" Sam mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Twelve AM," Gabriel sat down next to him. "Way past your bedtime Gigantor."

"Why?" Sam asked him.

"Well Sambo," Gabriel explained in his usual humorous way. "Daddy made humans so that they needed rest every night to recharge their batteries per se and furthermore—"

"No," Sam asked. "Why are you still here, talking to me, and taking care of me?"

"I told you this in the mystery spot years ago Sam," Gabriel said. "I like you. I like your caliber. I like the way you keep going even after all these shitty things have happened to you. You haven't lost faith Sam Winchester, not like the rest of the world. You always believe in that perfect little pot of gold at the end of the magic rainbow and honestly I don't ever want you to lose that mentality."

Sam stared at Gabriel, curious as to where he was going with this.

"You give me hope," Gabriel admitted. "Father knows I need it some days. You're not like the other humans Sam. You're better than you think, smarter than you think. You're human and flawed, but I think Dad will accept those flaws when the time comes."

Sam hugged Gabriel. Gabriel was caught off guard with all of the hugs he'd received from the younger Winchester over the months they'd been interacting with one another. Gabriel reciprocated the hug and held Sam close. The younger Winchester's heartbeat was like a favorite song, warm, inviting, and constantly stuck in his head. Gabriel let go before either of them got too attached or one fell asleep on the other.

"C'mon Sam," Gabriel stood and extended his hand; Sam took it and stood up. He stretched and yawned before grabbing his book and ascending the stairs. Gabriel's eyes followed his every step up to the top floor of the creaky old house. Gabriel held sentences unsaid inside him. Dean could see it in his honey colored eyes. "Goodnight Sam Winchester."

"Why are you saying my full name?" Sam asked with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Just testing it," Gabriel smirked back at him. "I like the way it sounds."

"You're funny." Sam replied.

"It's a gift." Gabriel smirked and Sam rolled his eyes, disappearing from view. Gabriel's smile was priceless.

Dean took in what he had just witnessed: an archangel clearly harboring potentially unrequited feelings for his brother and ascended the stairs as well to the source of the light coming from one of the bedrooms. There were two mahogany dressers in it and two side tables. The two side tables each were different. One had books piled up on history and some were fiction. The other had an old unfilled flask on it along with a watch, a cell phone, and some jewelry consisting of necklaces and rings. They had matching lamps and two different alarm clocks. Future Dean and Castiel lay in the bed, covers over them and laying facing towards each other.

"I prayed to Annahita," Castiel whispered. "She has given us the answer we've so desired. In nine months we will have a child Dean."

Future Dean looked overjoyed. He couldn't even express it in words. He simply held Castiel close to him; he'd brought Future him to tears. Dean wasn't an easily moved man. This was strange for him to watch. The moment was over almost as quickly as it had begun and Dean watched Future him kiss Castiel. Dean had kissed a lot of women in his lifetime. Never had he kissed one of them like this. There was nothing, but pure love in it. Dean saw his shoulders convulse as Future him deepened the kiss, tears running down his face. Dean caught his breath again, this all felt so familiar yet like some faraway dream. Like he was something that never was. He was grateful for what Holly had shown him so far, but at the same time his heart was aching.

"You're taking all of this very well," Holly commented from behind Dean's back. "Most people in this situation would've quit by now."

"Well I don't have much choice now do I?" Dean replied to her, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Speaking of which," Holly touched his shoulder. "It's about time for food again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	5. Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly takes Dean to another saga of his future where Dean sees his daughter.

Dean and Holly were transported to the diner once again. It was still the same people, the same food, but this time Future Dean and his daughter weren't there. Dean felt the slight ache in his chest grow a bit more. Holly motioned for him to follow her and they sat down once again in their booth. The waitress came over to them like clockwork and she took their same orders like she had the two times before. She walked away and Dean was soon expecting a hot and juicy cheeseburger in front of him once again.

"You sure do love cheeseburgers," Holly commented. "It's all your subconscious has been ordering."

"What can I say," Dean chuckled. "I love me some burgers, ones with bacon and all the fixings."

"Same," Holly smiled a bit more than she usually did. "Not many of them up in Heaven. Not like the humans do it."

Dean smiled back at her. He watched her eyes start to light up when they were talking about things other than Dean's future, but just as fast as they'd done so they dulled again. Dean could tell she was thinking about something when they did. Something she desired a lot less than hamburgers. The tired radio blared on the same song it had the past two times in the background behind them and the buzz of words coming from the mouths of strangers became a blur.

"Here's your food dears," the waitress set their burgers down. "Enjoy."

Dean observed Holly again. There were a few more red spots on her clothes after she had bitten into her burger only twice.

"S'at more ketchup?" Dean asked.

"Oh yeah," Holly said, closing her jacket a bit more to hide the stains. "I'm clumsy I guess."

Dean raised an accusatory eyebrow, but kept his thoughts to himself. How could one girl be so clumsy all of the time? Dean brushed away those thoughts much like the waitress was brushing dirt under the counter where no one could see it, but it was still there. Much like Dean's suspicion. Holly scarfed down her burger and as Dean finished up his last bite she looked to him.

"See you in the next event." She said and then disappeared. Dean rolled his eyes and looked around. The people were frozen again. The radio was given a rest. Dean started on peeling away the glass like usual and found he was in a forest. Holly stood, silent and observing something.

"You know I'm getting real tired of following you around like a lost puppy…" Dean grumbled.

Holly looked to him then back to what she had been staring at. The scene was familiar to Dean. It the woods behind where Bobby's house used to be. Dean could still smell the ash and burnt wood in the air when the breeze blew his way. It tugged at his heart and he yearned to see the old hunter's face one more time. In front of the both of them was the lake that was in the woods. To the left was the tire swing Bobby had put up for Sam and Dean when they were kids and their father would drop them off to stay between hunts. In said tire swing was the same little girl from the diner around the same age, maybe a bit younger, swinging on the tire with a gigantic smile on her face and she was laughing. Future Dean was pushing her back and forth. His daughter's hair was aflutter in the breeze and her smile was shining bright through the darkness that was settling on the land.

"Higher daddy," she cried out. "Higher please!"

"As you wish," Future Dean chuckled and pushed her higher. "Your majesty."

Dean's daughter laughed, her voice echoing through the woods. It was music to his ears. He found he too was smiling at her laughter. It was almost infectious. Future Dean's head was thrown back in laughter, Dean was chuckling, his daughter was laughing her full head off, everyone but Holly seemed to be joining in. Dean would never understand angels' lack of humor.

"Daddy I'm flying," his daughter yelled. "I'm flying like Papa does!"

"I see that baby," Dean replied. "You're flying!"

Future Dean's daughter laughed, her eyes closed until she felt her fingers starting to slip and forward she tumbled. She flew through the air and cried out for Future Dean before crash landing in the water. She went under. Future Dean's eyes went wide with panic and he ran over, searching the edges of the water. Dean felt a primal paternal urge. He started hurrying forward, Holly grabbed his arm.

"This is the future Dean," Holly explained. "Let it play out. You can't do anything anyway."

Future Dean dove into the lake and stayed under for a good five minutes before emerging from the depths, his daughter in tow. She coughed up water and sputtered as he placed her on the shoreline. She spat up the water in her lungs and shivered when the air hit her. Future Dean sat by her side and blocked some of the breeze. He shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, it was big on her but she didn't care. It smelled like gunpowder and leather and her father.

"Thank you daddy…" she sighed.

"You're welcome princess," Future Dean responded. "Why didn't you tell me you were gonna fall? You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry daddy," she explained. "I-I just wanted to fly…"

"That doesn't mean you should do so before you're ready," Future Dean sighed. "I worry that you're growing up too fast sometimes…"

"Daddy I'm eight years old," she protested. "I'm growing up just the right amount of fast!"

Future Dean laughed. Dean did too. She sounded like his kid. Dean felt a sense of pride which was strange to him, pride over someone who didn't even exist yet. Just the thought that she would exist one day alone made him want to wake up faster.

"Fine," Future Dean chuckled. "You just make me feel old."

"You're not old daddy," she chuckled too. "You're just a big kid like me."

"You really wanna fly sweetie?" Future Dean asked her and she nodded. She smiled even bigger when Future Dean lifted her up onto his shoulders in one swoop and started running off towards where he had parked the Impala. Future Dean and his daughter ran right past Dean and Holly and Dean could feel them almost as if they were ghosts running right through him. A shiver ran up his spine. Holly seemed unmoved. The scene faded they were standing at the house Future Dean had bought, outside the Impala was parked and Future Dean carried his daughter. She was asleep in his arms, her long hair cascading over Future Dean's shoulder and Future smiled down at her.

"As promised by Annahita she showed up on your doorstep after nine months," Holly said. "This is eight years later. She's been a blessing in you and Cas' lives ever since the day she arrived."

"I have a son too don't I?" Dean asked eagerly.

"He comes a bit later after Castiel prays again," Holly explained. "A double blessing really, he keeps you guys on your toes."

"On our toes eh?" Dean asked, confused.

"You'll see later." Holly said alluding to more happiness. Dean couldn't get enough. It was the first time in his life things were going to go right for awhile. He couldn't wait to wake up. Holly transported him to the hallway of the house. It had been fixed up since the time Future Dean had bought it and it looked nicer now. It still had a rustic, vintage feel to it, but Dean could live with that. He'd always wanted an old house, much like his beloved Impala it was something he could fix up and leave his mark on.

Dean stared into his daughter's room. The walls were painted lime green. The windows were white like the rest of the house. The curtains were blue. It was a nice color contrast. Her bed was a double bed with one half completely covered in stuffed animals. The comforter was made of light material with blue and tan fish printed all over it. She had two white pillows and a small side table with a yellow lamp on it. Toys were spread everywhere and a giant dollhouse stood in the corner. All of the dolls were tucked into their respective beds.

"Time for the princess to get her beauty rest." Future Dean whispered into her ear before laying her in bed. His daughter rubbed her tired eyes and yawned as he tucked her in.

"M'not tired daddy…" his daughter yawned again and Future Dean smirked.

"Sure you're not," Future Dean replied. "I love you princess. To the moon and back."

"I love you too daddy," his daughter said. "Further than the moon."

Future Dean hugged his daughter and kissed her forehead, handing her a slightly worn Winnie the Pooh doll that she graciously squeezed and nestled underneath her chin. Dean barely had enough time to see Castiel come along before Holly dragged him off. The last thing he saw was Castiel entering the room and a swirly cursive H hanging on the door of the room before he was whisked away to the next future event.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The next few events were flashes like the ones Dean saw whilst he was in Hell when Castiel had fought his was down to rescue the hunter. They were fast and a quick glimpse of what was to be.

In one of them Future Dean was cooking in the kitchen and his daughter was peeking over the counter at what was for dinner.

In another Future Dean was carrying his daughter, around the same age as the last vision, tired and asleep up to her room. Castiel's eyes followed him and a smile appeared on the angel's face.

In Dean's personal favorite he and his daughter were dancing. The tune wasn't familiar to him at first, but then he realized that he did indeed know the vocalist.

"This is guy who sings in Top Gun right," Dean asked Holly. "Kenny Loggins."

"I know not what you are referring to," Holly replied. "But yes this is Kenny Loggins. A children's album he produced in particular is what's playing right now."

"So you know who sings this," Dean said. "But not what Top Gun is?"

"I was always more musically inclined from early on," Holly explained. "I did not have the liberty of viewing human films."

Dean shrugged. Who was he to judge? He observed himself. He'd never been the best dancer in his life.

"Play the song about the horses again daddy," his daughter said excitedly. "Pretty please with sugar on top!"

"The last thing you need is sugar," Future Dean chuckled and took his daughter's hand. "Is Uncle Gabriel giving you lollipops before bedtime again?"

"Not in two weeks," his daughter smartly replied and Future Dean laughed. "I pinkie swear!"

"Alright then," Future Dean reached over to the CD player boom box. "One song about horses coming up stat."

Kenny Loggins' voice came to life through the CD player's speakers and Future Dean stood still, hoping his daughter would follow suit. She did. She cocked her head slightly and started to step slowly in time with Future Dean. Future Dean was a bit bent over so that he could reach her hands, but other than that the two seemed perfectly content. Soon though, his daughter started to lose time and she stumbled over Future Dean's big hunting boots. Future Dean caught her by the arm, but she sighed and looked up at him, teary eyed.

"I-I keep falling over your big shoes daddy," she cried out. "I can't do it!"

Future Dean pondered for a moment and then broke into a smile.

"Here," he said, taking her by the hands and pulling her towards him so that she was standing, balanced on his feet. "Let's try it this way."

His daughter didn't understand at first, but then as Dean started to dance in a circle she quickly caught on. She could dance with him and not to worry about tripping over his feet. Soon she too was smiling and giggling a bit. The moment was so perfect Dean wished he had a camera or that he could wrap it up in a package that was never meant to be opened again. He didn't want to lose the image he'd just seen.

"We can't stay here forever," Holly spoke up. "Or else it wouldn't be the future would it?"

Dean looked to her, then to his daughter and Future him dancing in the middle of the living room. No other soul could be found. Dean bit his lip and then sighed. He nodded to Holly and she brought him to the next part of his timeline.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean stood in a hospital. He looked around, expecting to see himself lying in the bed of his room like Holly had shown him before, but alas he was wrong. He saw doctors mulling about and talking among themselves. He saw patients in their beds talking to visitors, some were asleep. Holly stood beside Dean and motioned for him to look straight ahead. Dean turned and his smile drooped. He saw himself and Castiel, worriedly listening to a doctor. He saw his brother Sam and Gabriel sitting nearby, likely there for moral support. The one face he didn't see made his stomach drop to his knees.

Where was his daughter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	6. In Sickness And Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean relaxes a little when he finds out his daughter is fine. Two new family members are added to the Winchester household.

Dean tried to rush forward, but Holly caught his arm once again. Dean spun around and glared at her, he was getting sick of being held back. He tugged at his wrist and she gladly let go, but something was still holding Dean back as he stared at her. Her stare was chilling to say the least and once again Dean didn't know why. His eyes moved over to the right side of her face, a small gash had appeared above her eyebrow. It wasn't bleeding, but it was there. He hadn't noticed it before.

"Where's my daughter?" Dean asked her, insistent and worried.

"Dean," Holly replied. "Patience."

"If you say that one more freaken time," Dean pointed a finger at her. "I will not hesitate to punch you."

Holly shook her head slightly and pointed towards the doctor speaking with Future Dean and Castiel. Dean gave her a look of annoyance before deciding to listen in.

"She's going to be okay," the doctor explained. "It's something we doctors commonly call croup among children. It labors breathing and can be quite scary for the little ones. It's nothing life threatening unless the child has previous medical conditions, but I'm glad you brought her here for reassurance. Just take her home. Try to keep her comfortable and I'd suggest a radiator while she sleeps or a warm bath before bed. Bundling her up and taking her outside might help too."

"Thank you doctor." Castiel nodded, he seemed less afraid than Future Dean had been.

"Okay ghost of Christmas future," Dean said to Holly. "Why are you showing me things that are going to potentially scare the hell out of me?"

Dean wasn't typically one to admit he was scared. In fact, he was rarely scared, but seeing all the happy moments he had yet to share with his future daughter and then suddenly being thrust into a part of his future that could've resulted in her being lost scared the hell out of him.

"Because life is fragile," Holly said with an insistent tone. "You and Sam among all people should know this. If I showed you every bit of your future that was nice and pleasant without showing you the bad too, I'd be lying to you. Angels know that humans are fragile and they could be among us at any given moment. We also know, however; that humans are strong. They have wills of steel. I'm just trying to show you that the future isn't always as perfect as you want it to be."

Dean looked back over at the doctor letting Future him and Castiel into the room. Their daughter was lying in the hospital bed. The doctor unhooked the IV. Their daughter started to cry, wheezing and sputtering. Castiel took her into his arms and rocked her a bit. She started to calm and snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Papa…" she let out a barking cough.

"I'm here sweetheart." Castiel leaned his head to the side and kissed the back of her head.

Holly transported Dean into the room. He watched as Castiel calmed their daughter and still managed to wear a smile for her even though Dean could sense he was worried. He'd yet to see Castiel really smile like that. His daughter's eyes opened again and Dean saw her look up at Future him. She let out another barking cough and Future Dean stepped closer, taking her hand. She looked up at him and a small smile broke out across her face. Future Dean smiled warmly and squeezed his daughter's hand. Dean smiled too. His daughter was going to be okay. That was all that mattered to him, even though she didn't even exist yet. Dean looked down at his clenched fist and fathomed how it was the size of his heart and how right now his heart ached like it was much bigger. His heart was making his whole body ache a little and he also fathomed how one little child could make him feel a way he'd never imagined he'd ever feel.

Dean could feel his eyes misting.

"If you want to see the results of this," Holly came up behind him. "Come with me."

Dean nodded and suddenly they were at the home Future Dean had purchased again. The stars were shining bright above in the sky and the moon was full. The air was a bit chilly, but not bad enough to warrant coats. Future Dean had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around his daughter. Sam and Gabriel followed behind them, walking side by side. Sam pulled his jacket a bit tighter. Gabriel didn't feel the cold, but he looked up at the younger Winchester with admiration and let him go inside first to avoid being cold for a minute longer. Sam graciously smiled back as he removed his jacket and hung it on the wooden coat rack near the front door. Gabriel did the same. Future Dean gingerly removed the jacket from his daughter and Castiel moved her hair from her eyes.

"C'mon beautiful girl," Castiel whispered. "Let's get you to bed."

Future Dean and Castiel took the stair slowly, Castiel keeping their daughter upright in his arms to prevent her discomfort. Holly transported her and Dean upstairs and they watched as Castiel placed their daughter in bed. She opened her eyes.

"Sleep sweetheart," Castiel kissed her warm forehead. "Do you need anything?"

"I-I'm scared Papa…" she croaked out, trying not to cry again.

"I know," Castiel sighed and ran a comforting hand through her hair. "Believe me I know. I'm going to get you some juice for the night and turn up the heat a bit. I'll be right back sweetheart. Daddy will sit with you."

Castiel left the room, walking swiftly downstairs. Future Dean moved closer and sat on the edge of his daughter's bed. He smiled warmly. She smiled a tiny smile back, but then broke into a barking cough. The corners of her eyes watered and she looked up at Future Dean, scared.

"Hey," Future Dean spoke in a soft, gentle voice. "You're okay princess. You're gonna be okay."

"B-But what if I'm not!" his daughter exclaimed, coughing again.

"You're going to be fine you know why," Future Dean said to her. "Because you've got Papa and me taking care of you. Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe they're here too. You're not going to be alone, not tonight, not any night. We're not going to leave you."

"Yes you are," his daughter cried out. "You're gonna go to your room and leave me alone in here! I-I don't wanna fall asleep daddy, I don't wanna be alone!"

To Dean her little voice felt like a punch to his gut. He could tell that Future him felt the same way. Future Dean looked behind him then leaned in close to his daughter.

"Hey," he smiled. "Do you wanna sit outside for awhile? Look at the stars? It'll help your chest."

His daughter nodded and Future Dean smiled. Castiel brought her the juice and kissed her goodnight. He walked out moments later. Future Dean waited before lifting his daughter out of bed. He helped her into her warm hello kitty pajamas and pulled fuzzy socks onto her feet. He grabbed her warmest hoodie out from her small closet and helped her pull it on over her head. He picked her up, supporting her under her butt with one arm and grabbed the glass of juice with the other. Future Dean walked right through Dean and Holly and down the hall, down the stairs, and outside. Holly, as if sensing what Dean wanted, zapped him outside and Dean watched as Future him sat down on the front steps with his daughter in his arms. He sat her upright and let her lean into his chest. He smiled down at her and placed the juice beside him. His daughter looked up.

"You see the stars?" Future Dean asked her. "They're shining; they're saying "Get better"."

"They're pretty," his daughter croaked out, Future Dean wrapped the blanket he'd grabbed on his way tighter around her. "But…I-I wish I could see them from the tire swing."

Future Dean smiled; she was obsessed with that swing.

"When you're better," Future Dean said. "I promise you, we'll go back."

She nodded and looked back up at the stars and the moon which was shining brightly. Future Dean's breath was visible under the giant natural night light. Future Dean's daughter cuddled further into him and let out a little grunt. Future Dean smiled down at her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"Daddy," she said hoarsely. "C-Can you sing me the horse song?"

Future Dean took a deep breath and nodded. He held her close and rocked her as he sang from the beginning verse to the chorus.

"That's the way it's gonna be little darling," Future Dean sang. "We'll go riding on horses…"

Dean's own voice was beginning to put him in a sleep-like trance too. He hadn't sung properly in years. It had always felt better to blare out lyrics from hard rock songs at the top of his lungs, but when he sung slow songs, when he was alone and singing to himself that was when he could actually do it. Holly's hair blew in the wind and Dean looked over towards his angel companion and saw something in her eyes once again. She looked lost, like a child without a mother. Dean could only imagine how hard it was for angels. To be controlled by Heaven and be constantly worried about fighting and protecting that they probably never enjoyed little things like this. They probably never would.

"You alright?" Dean asked her, she jumped out of her trance like she usually did when Dean talked to her and nodded.

"I love you daddy…" his daughter said, moments later she fell asleep.

"I love you too baby girl." Future Dean whispered and kissed her chilly red cheek.

Holly touched Dean's shoulder again.

"We should go." She motioned for him to follow her. "C'mon."

Dean walked down the pathway that led to the house, wanting to look back, but he knew if he did the ache in his heart would grow, so he didn't. Instead he did as he'd been doing and followed Holly to the next event.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

It was a nice sunny day in the next future event. The air was warm and it appeared to be mid-fall. There were balloons outside of the house Future Dean had bought and the sound of children's laughter filled the air. Dean felt a sense of happiness was flowing from the backyard of the house. Holly motioned for him to follow and soon the two of them stood in the backyard. Children ran around playing, tagging one another, some played in the yard with toys. There was a table set up with food and drinks and some gift wrapped bags and boxes. Dean looked over at the children and almost immediately recognized his daughter, chasing around a boy her age. She laughed and smiled brightly as she reached out and tagged him.

"Tag," she yelled. "You're it!"

"Aw c'mon!" the boy yelled back and started running after her.

Various parents mingled with Sam, Gabriel, Future Dean, and Castiel. Some with each other. There was laughter, food, drinks, and general merriment. Dean sat too, for what he perceived to be a few hours. Suddenly though, Future Dean who had been grilling burgers and hot dogs called everyone to order and all of the children ran over towards the table filled with presents. His daughter sat patiently as the presents were dispersed to her and she ripped each one open with gusto. One was a friendship bracelet kit, one was a couple of board games, the others were from friends parents they were books and toys of various kinds. Sam and Future Dean had spent the entire morning apparently building a swing set and subsequently cussing each other out as they'd done so. Cake was eaten and friends were eventually bid farewell until school the next week.

The biggest surprises came at the end of the day. Holly zapped Dean into the house where the two hunters and the two angels sat at the dining room table in the house. Future Dean and Castiel's daughter sat at the head of the table, smiling bright and waiting for her other presents from her family.

"Your parents are gonna kill me for this," Gabriel spoke up, earning a concerned look from Future Dean and a confused one from Castiel. Sam rolled his eyes. "But, I got you a special gift."

Gabriel snapped his fingers and the door opened revealing a large German Shepard. It entered the house and Future Dean resisted the urge to jump up and shoot it with a silver bullet on instinct. Dean supposed they'd yet to reveal the hunting world to his future daughter. The Shepard looked at Future Dean and its eyes flashed yellow before it sat down, cocked its head, and then barked.

"Puppy!" Future Dean's daughter ran over to the hound and hugged it around the neck. The hound drooled then nuzzled the little girl on the side of her face. Future Dean gave Gabriel an 'I'm so gonna kill you later' look.

"This is Titan," Gabriel said to Future Dean. "He's an Angelhound. Think of Hellhound's but less vicious all the time and only when told to protect or attack. Titan's a good and loyal hound, he'll watch over your daughter and you guys too."

"I swear an oath that I will Dean." Future Dean jumped in place as the Angelhound Titan spoke to him in his head. Future Dean was going to question it, but he determined he'd seen weirder.

"The puppy talks daddy and papa," his daughter exclaimed. "He's the coolest dog ever! This is the best tenth birthday ever!

So, his future daughter was ten in this event? Dean smiled at her enthusiasm and obvious pure joy.

"Well I don't know how we're going to top that gift," Future Dean chuckled, still getting used to the thought of having an angelic talking dog on their hands. "But we can sure try."

Future Dean walked over to his daughter and Dean watched as he started to pull his necklace off of his neck. It was the amulet Sam had given him for Christmas when they were kids. Dean felt this overwhelming shock rush over him.

"Your Uncle Sammy gave me this when we were kids," Future Dean looked to Sam almost as though for permission. Sam smiled and nodded. "Now, I want you to have it. It'll keep me close to your heart, always."

He pulled the amulet over her head and she held the charm in the palm of her hand. She smiled big and hugged Future Dean around the neck. Future Dean smiled big at her and Dean almost shivered from the happy energy he could feel in the room. Future Dean looked to Castiel.

"Your papa and I have one more big surprise we think you're gonna like," Future Dean nodded at Castiel as the angel walked closer to the pair and Titan. "You wanna tell her Cas?"

"The last part of your present," Castiel explained with pride as he took Future Dean's hand. "Is coming, because in nine months from now you're going to have a sibling."

Dean's mouth fell open, it must be the little boy at the park. Future Dean and Castiel smiled at each other and kissed. Their daughter squealed with joy and Sam laughed as Gabriel hooted and hollered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	7. Teenage Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is shown his daughter, growing up.

Dean felt his stomach drop to his feet as Holly flew them into the next event. Even now in the present time Dean still wasn't used to Castiel flying him around. Holly had flown them into the house Future Dean had bought. It was mid-afternoon, 2 pm to be exact, and it looked to be late spring time. Dean hadn't had a chance to feel the air outside, but he assumed it was chilly by the scene he saw in the backyard. Castiel was out back, dressed in his usual trench coat attire. In front of him was a little boy, the same little boy from the park, but younger. He looked about six years old. His hair was cut like Dean's was. He looked like a mini-Dean except his exceptionally unique eyes, the left one was green and the right one blue. He was the boy from the park. He was Dean and Castiel's son.

Dean smiled at the sight of the little boy running around in the backyard, Castiel right behind him. But what was even more amazing was the sight of Titan; the Angelhound Gabriel had given Dean's future daughter and subsequently the family, running right beside the boy. Dean watched as the boy reached the rather tall swing set and slide combo that Future Dean and Sam had apparently set up years ago for Dean's future daughter. The boy looked up at the climb and the tall slide that was significantly taller than even his sister. He swallowed hard, looking rather nervous. Dean watched as Titan came up behind the little boy and nudged his back. His eyes flashed yellow.

"It's okay," Titan said to the boy through his mind and somehow Dean heard it too. "You can do it."

The little boy seemed unsure, but he climbed up anyway and stood at the top of the slide. He sat down, but refused to slide down. Dean blinked a few times after watching it, but he watched as a white mist enshrouded Titan and he turned into a human before Dean's eyes.

"Angelhounds can do that," Holly explained. "They are given the ability to have a human form if needed. They still fight with us as hounds, but it's easier sometimes if they can turn human. It makes for good incognito situations on earth too."

"Well that's," Dean swallowed hard, still fathoming it. "Convenient."

Titan's human form was that of a young man with dirty blonde short and shaggy hair. He had piercing yellowish golden eyes and perfect white teeth. He was on the skinnier side and wore an old t-shirt, blue skinny jeans and black Vans. He knelt down and held open his arms.

"C'mon kiddo," Titan exclaimed. "You can do it!"

The little boy hesitated.

"C'mon kid," Dean encouraged him, even though he knew that he couldn't hear him. "You can do it."

Finally, his future son let go and slid down the slide. When he reached the end Titan grabbed him and held him in his arms, yelling happily.

"You can do anything." Dean smiled.

Dean watched as Titan set the child down, the mist reappeared and he turned back into his Angelhound form. Castiel approached the both of them, picking up his son and kissing his cheek. Titan barked and after Castiel set his son back down he ran immediately to the top of the slide again. Dean's gaze turned to Future him walking down the hallway. He proceeded to walk straight through both Holly and Dean like they were ghosts and down past three doors before reaching one near the end of the hall.

Dean followed himself and passed the three doors, all of which were open. One door led to what was clearly Dean and Castiel's room because of the flask on the side table and the books on the other. The next room on the right was the room of his little boy, due to the amount of toys on the floor and the childlike spaceship theme from the walls to the comforter on the bed. But the third bedroom on the left only had an unmade bed in it. On one side were a book and a laptop on the side table; on the other was a single lollipop. Was Gabriel sleeping in the same room as his brother?

"Hey princess it's time to get up," Future Dean said through the door to what Dean assumed to be his future daughter's bedroom. "You've been in bed all day."

All Dean heard on the other side of the door was a groan. Dean watched from the doorway as Future him walked inside the room and nudged his daughter with his hand on her shoulder. Her face was buried in her pillow and her hair was a mess, hiding her face. Eventually she groaned and rolled over.

"What's up kid?" Future Dean sat on the edge of her bed.

"Dad," she said. "I'm sixteen. I'm not a kid anymore."

"You'll always be my little girl," Future Dean chuckled. "You know that right? So what's wrong?"

"I need some things…" his daughter made a face like she was about to utter some bad word.

"Things," Future Dean asked. "You're gonna have to be more specific?"

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean, before he could hear her answer, was whisked away by Holly once again to the nearest big retail store which in the area they were near happened to be Walmart. Dean had never once stepped foot into a Walmart until now. Dean looked down the various aisles, looking for Future him. Once he found himself, he almost high tailed it out of there immediately.

He was standing in the feminine products aisle, looking pained as he picked out a box.

"You could've warned me," Dean turned around to Holly. "I mean seriously? You skip six years just to show me this?"

"If I had showed you every little thing that had happened in those six years," Holly explained. "It would leave nothing for you to look forward to when you wake up. I'm showing you this because I want you to realize how much of a good dad you will be to your daughter, even when she turns into a woman."

Future Dean grabbed the package placing it in his hand cart and walked over to the end displays that had chocolate stacked in them. He picked up a package of the dark chocolates and tossed them in the basket as well. He then begrudgingly went to stand in line. Dean watched as Future him made eye contact with the guy next to him, carrying similar if not the same items. The guy motioned to Dean's cart and smirked.

"The things we do for our girlfriends." The guy said.

"My daughter actually," Future Dean said, without too many qualms. "And yeah the things we do."

Future Dean made it through the checkout line in record time. As he started to leave he exited at the same time as the other guy.

"Hey," the guy said. "You're a good dad, man."

Future Dean smiled and nodded, bidding goodbye to the other guy and getting into his iconic Impala and driving away. Holly touched Dean's shoulder and flew them back to the house where Future Dean was handing his daughter the bag of stuff. Her face lit up almost immediately at the chocolate. His teenage daughter was beautiful, Dean had to admit. She was beginning to look more and more like a young lady with each new event.

"Thank dad," she reached her arms out and hugged Future Dean around the middle. "You're literally the best. I don't think I could've moved if I tried."

"Hey," Future Dean said, starting to walk out. "It's what dad's are for right, taking care of their little girls, even when they're not so little anymore."

"See what I meant," Holly said. "I'm trying to let you see her as she grows up a little. So you know what to expect."

"Still," Dean said. "A little warning about the womanly things would've been nice. I mean I've dealt with it before, but still."

Holly merely chuckled.

"C'mon," she said. "Let's go to a better event."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

When she and Dean landed from the flight, the sun was shining once again. All Dean heard was a car engine. A familiar car engine…

He turned his head to see the Impala. Dean smiled proudly; his faithful car was still running even in the future. His smile turned to a look of worry though shortly after when he saw who was in the driver's seat instead of him.

His teenage daughter…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	8. Hunting?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Future Dean's daughter finds out the family secret, much to Dean's dismay.

Dean watched as Future Dean leaned over to his daughter in the driver's seat, looking somewhat nervous. Dean had always had a rule that no one, but he and Sam drove Baby, but he figured if anyone else should get to drive his precious Impala it might as well be his daughter and eventually his son. Dean watched from the front porch step where Holly had landed them. He felt a small smirk form on his face.

"You are seriously not playing Incubus in my car," Future Dean groaned, the window was down and the band's signature song 'Drive' was leaking through the speakers. "It's like a nod against everything I stand for."

"Music is essential in the car," his daughter argued. "What better and more appropriate song than one entitled "Drive" and personally dad I like this song."

"Baby can't handle the mellow tunes," Future Dean explained. "She likes the classics."

"Bach and Beethoven?" his daughter laughed.

"What do I look like a girl to you," Future Dean gave her a look. "Classic rock princess, it's like engraved into Baby's soul and mine and hopefully one day, yours."

"Ever stop to ask Baby what it thinks?" his daughter asked.

"She not an it," Future Dean remarked. "And when Baby decides to grow two legs and turn human to give me her input on music tastes I'll let you know."

Dean watched as Future Dean instructed his daughter on the gas pedal and the brake and how to put the Impala into drive. His daughter did so flawlessly and started off down the street. Holly flew Dean and her into the back seat of the Impala. It felt weird, sitting in the back of his car. There was a special car seat in the middle for Future Dean's son. His daughter was doing great so far from what Dean could gather. Future him seemed a bit nervous, but otherwise he was doing well with the fact that his daughter was driving his precious Baby. They went all around the neighborhood. His daughter did flawlessly, but when they were almost right in front of the house she hit a bump and the trunk popped open a bit giving a warning signal. His daughter pulled over and Holly zapped her and Dean out of the back seat of the car.

"I've been meaning to get that fixed," Future Dean said, getting out of the car, his daughter did too. "Damn trunk's loose."

"I'll go shut it." His daughter volunteered. A look of sudden panic came over Future Dean and he tried to rush over there first, but his daughter beat him to it. She went to shut the trunk, but as she looked at the edge of the top of the trunk she saw red paint. There were also white scratches on the trunks sides, in the shape of demonic pentagrams. His daughter gave a look of confusion before lifting the trunk up all the way.

"Shit…" Dean sighed.

"Uh dad," his daughter said with clear concern in her voice. "What is this?"

"Um," Future Dean stammered a bit. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," his daughter gave him a look. "Dad you have demonic symbols on your car. Why?"

"It's something me and Uncle Sammy used to do okay?" Future Dean tried to shut the trunk. "We don't do it as much anymore…"

"What is it exactly that you don't do as much anymore?" his daughter questioned him, crossing her arms.

"Something I'd hoped you'd never find out about." Future Dean was getting sick of discussing it, Dean could tell.

"Does this family worship Satan?" she asked. "Cuz I mean if we do I don't care, but from what I heard from Papa, his brother is kind of a jerk."

"There is no way in hell we worship Satan," Future Dean shut the trunk hard, making his daughter jump. "It's called hunting and it's something you're never going to do."

"Hunting as in deer?" she asked.

"Hunting," Future Dean said. "As in: things that go bump in the night."

"Monsters?" she asked.

"Oh you're in deep buddy." Dean said.

"That's enough of that." Future Dean started to walk away.

"Wait no," his daughter ran after him. "You and Uncle Sammy hunt monsters down and kill them!"

"Only if they've done something wrong," Future Dean muttered. "Now stop asking about it."

"That's so cool," she looked excited. "I wanna do that!"

"No," Future Dean raised his voice and said sternly. "You don't and more importantly you won't ever!"

She looked extremely put off by what Future Dean had said. She glared at him.

"Well screw you too!" she exclaimed and stormed inside the house. Castiel was in the living room, playing with their son. He looked over just in time to see their daughter stomp up the stairs in rage and slam her door shut shortly after. Future Dean came in behind her, a frustrated look on his face. Dean and Holly followed shortly after, watching the interaction between husbands.

"I take it the driving didn't go as planned?" Castiel asked, chuckling slightly.

"That part went fine," Future Dean came over; his son was playing with plastic toy animals. "She saw the trunk Cas…"

Castiel went silent.

"I should've gotten the damn thing fixed…" Future Dean sat down in the armchair.

Castiel stood to leave their son, who was too engrossed in playing whatever make believe scenario he had going at the moment to even notice Dean's cussing. Castiel knelt in front of Future Dean, taking his hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. Future Dean looked up at him.

"You should talk to her," Castiel said. "After she calms down a little, she deserves an explanation."

"She'll want to do it too." Future Dean expressed his worry.

"That is her personal choice," Castiel explained. "You can't prevent her from doing anything Dean; all you can do is explaining to her why you are worried. Whatever she does after this is her life."

Future Dean stared at Castiel for a moment before sighing and kissing him. He pulled back and Castiel smiled.

"You're right Cas," Future Dean said. "And that's exactly what I'll do, but first…how's my little champ doing?"

Future Dean went over to his son and his son smiled big. He replied with a 'good' and invited Future Dean to play with him. Dean watched as Future Dean sat down and started to play make believe with his son.

The event faded and Holly and Dean stood outside his daughter's bedroom. Future Dean stood, knocking on it.

"Open up," he said. "Please…"

He waited, he hesitated, he contemplated leaving, but then the door swung open and his daughter stood there, still looking a bit miffed, but that she'd mostly gotten over it. Future Dean rubbed the back of his neck then held two bags of gummy bears.

"I come bearing peace offerings," Future Dean said. "And a chance to explain myself."

His daughter rolled her eyes and motioned for him to enter. She huffed as she sat down on her bed, a bit away from him. Future Dean handed her a bag of gummy bears, but she refused to hold them so he placed them by her thigh. He took the other bag for himself and opened it, taking one out and tossing it up into his mouth. He smiled at her, but she looked away.

"Look," Future Dean said. "What Uncle Sammy, Papa, and I used to do it's not glamorous by any means. Coming home covered in ectoplasm and werewolf spit and blood. Trust me the blood is worse than a really bad period."

"TMI dad." his daughter muttered.

"It's true and it's very hard to get out of clothes," Future Dean chuckled a bit. "Anyway, it's not fun at all, it's hard work. It requires a lot of skill, diner food, cheap motels, deep gashes and stitches without morphine. It's not the best line of work."

"But it's thrilling right?" she started to come out of her shell. "It's fulfilling?"

"Well yeah," Future Dean said. "I'm gonna be honest. Hell yeah it is. But it's dangerous."

"So is driving a car," she replied. "So is every time you walk outside. No one knows what's going to happen to them dad."

"True," Future Dean replied. "But this is a different kind of danger. The one I don't want to lose my only daughter to."

She looked over at him.

"Look," Future Dean turned to look at her. "I love you. More than my own life. You're my daughter, my pride, my joy, my reason for waking up in the morning. You've saved me in ways you can't even imagine. I don't ever wanna lose you before I have to. You're my entire world. I can't let my world stop spinning."

His daughter smiled. She cracked, she hugged him hard. He held her tight as if he'd never let her go, running a comforting hand over her back. There were tiny tears in her eyes and as she pulled away, she wiped them. Future Dean moved the hair from her eyes.

"Hey," he said. "I betcha I can catch more gummy bears in my mouth than you?"

"Oh," she got a determined look in her eyes. "You're on!"

Laughter, side splitting laughter was what broke out next. Dean watched as both he and his future daughter tried their hardest to catch the gummy bears the opposite person threw in their mouths. But mostly it ended up in a few being caught and Future Dean falling off of her bed trying to catch one and ending up with a thud on the floor. His daughter fell back in loud laughter and Future Dean smiled at her. It was enough to make Future Dean start chuckling again himself.

"Come," Holly said to Dean. "It seems as though the nurse has decided you have to eat again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	9. Jefferson Starships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Sam get closer in Dean's future and Castiel let's a teacher have it for mistreating his kid.

After another cryptic session at the diner and eating another disappearing cheeseburger, Dean and Holly found themselves back at the house Future Dean had bought. The Impala was gone. The windows were open though and the air smelled of sugar and sweetness, the usual scent of a Trickster. Dean concluded Gabriel was most likely in the house. He looked to his left and saw Sam, jogging down the street towards the house. He'd clearly been sweating his ass off and Dean also concluded that while he and Castiel were probably off somewhere doing whatever, Sam had ran probably all of the way around the neighborhood. The younger Winchester let out a breath it sounded as though he'd been holding and passed right through Dean and Holly to the front door, opening it and stepping inside. Holly and Dean followed close behind.

"Hello there Sammy boy," Gabriel exclaimed from the kitchen over a radio playing a very familiar tune. "How was the run?"

"Heat of the moment…!"

Sam started to sweat worse than before and he had pure terror in his eyes. Gabriel laughed and smirked before snapping his fingers and changing the tune.

"Just kidding," he said. "Lighten up kiddo that was how many years ago?"

"It's one of those songs," Sam explained, grabbing an empty glass and filling it with water. "Like the song that always reminds you of your ex, no matter what it always will and you just can't listen to it anymore."

"Yeah," Gabriel did his signature shrug paired with a mischievous look in his eyes. "I guess your brother dying a million times is about the same amount of pain as breaking up with someone."

"Well," Sam muttered. "I wouldn't know…"

Gabriel looked at Sam with quite the confused gaze. He stepped closer, leaning up against the counter.

"You mean you never met the one," Gabriel asked. "You haven't found the one who you were determined to dance with to all the cheesy love songs and the one who you'd gladly surrender your favorite jacket to a puddle for them to cross?"

"I had her," Sam remarked, bringing up the old wounds of Jess proved to be just as deadly as they were when she died years ago. "But I…lost her…"

Gabriel could tell by Sam's tone that his use of the word lost wasn't the same as 'I broke up with her' or 'she cheated on me'. He could see the genuine sadness hidden behind Sam's stoic eyes. Gabriel snapped his fingers against and all that was heard were drums before the first lines of another familiar tune poured through the stereo.

"Looking in your eyes I see a paradise…"

"Jefferson Starships?" Sam actually broke into a grin and chuckled. "Really Gabriel?"

"Hey just 'cuz Dean doesn't like em," Gabriel smirked. "Doesn't mean I can't sing 'em."

Gabriel practically jumped over to Sam and begun to sing the cheesy song. He took Sam's hand and tugged at it, encouraging Sam to dance with him. Sam rolled his eyes at first and shook his head.

"C'mon Sammy I know you know the words," Gabriel laughed in pure delight. "Lighten up! Sing with me! Have some fun!"

"Let em say we're crazy," Sam sang just so Gabriel would get off of his case. "I don't care about that. Put your arms around me baby don't ever look back."

Gabriel came closer and did in fact place his hands on Sam's hips. Gabriel was so much shorter than him, it was almost hilarious. Sam would've been laughing, if he wasn't trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"C'mon Sammy boy," Gabriel laughed during the singing break. "Loosen up! Let's have some sort of non-gay bromance singing and dancing bonding!"

Sam's playful side finally got the better of him.

"And we can build this thing together, stand this storm forever, nothing's gonna stop us now!"

They sang in unison until the girl part starting branching out on its own. Gabriel sang that part as Sam repeated the chorus repeatedly, a smile on his face and his eyes closed tight as he sang. As though he was singing for a giant stadium instead of having his own personal concert with his friend. Sam had grabbed a rolling pin to use as a microphone and Gabriel had settled on a spatula. It felt good to let loose, Sam so rarely did this. Mostly because Dean didn't agree with or teased his younger brother's music taste. The duet finished and the song faded. Sam erupted into deep and real belly laughter. Tears were almost running down his face. Gabriel had had to sit down on a bar stool to avoid falling over from his laughter.

"That," Sam said after he finished a bout of laughter. "Was so borderline chick flick, even Dean would've run screaming."

"Told ya you'd have fun," Gabriel winked and got up from the bar stool. He put the spatula away and took the rolling pin from Sam's hand, sticking it in the drawer as well. "Worth it?"

"Very." Sam replied, still smiling.

"There ya go Sam," Gabriel replied. "I guess you can check dancing to cheesy love songs off your list then?"

"Uh," Dean noticed Sam stammer a bit, his face turn slightly red. "Yeah…I guess I can."

"C'mon Sammy," Dean rolled his eyes. "I told you he was the freaking Trickster!"

"He can't hear you." Holly said.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Dean turned to her then back to Sam. "But seriously? I'm not letting some…trickster douche turned archangel hurt my brother."

"Dean," Holly explained, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Gabriel will prove his loyalty to you in the near future. Hasn't he already mostly proven it now? When are you ever going to trust Sam's instincts and let him go?"

Dean looked over at his brother. Holly could see the protective nature in his eyes. The one he'd had since Sam had been born and ever since they'd hunted together. She could understand his need for Sam to be protected and warm and safe and saved from heartbreak. As Dean watched though, she could also see his gaze turning. He saw the genuine smile on Gabriel's face and Sam's too. He watched Sam rub the back of his neck as he looked at the archangel, like a schoolgirl crushing on the most popular boy on the football team. Dean turned his cheek.

"Good," Holly said, letting her hand fall away from Dean. He saw more red marks on the sides of her hands, but decided he'd best not question them. "I suppose you're wondering where you and Castiel are?"

"Yes actually," Dean replied and next thing he knew he and Holly were standing in the deserted hallway of a school. "And okay…what gives?"

"Parent teacher conference," Holly explained. "Apparently you humans have those quite often with the humans that teach your children?"

"I guess." Dean took in his surroundings. Clearly they were in an elementary school. Dean assumed that his son's teacher was the one that he and Castiel were talking to. The only door that was open was one at the end of the hall and Dean found he was walking towards it. He had this overwhelming feeling of almost dread as he rounded the corner and stood in the doorway of the classroom.

"Is there anything you two wish to discuss with me," the teacher said, a grim tone in her voice as though she really didn't want to talk to Future Dean and Castiel who were seated side by side in front of the teacher's desk. The teacher herself was an older gray haired heavier set woman with blazing red lipstick and perfect makeup. She wore red glasses to match her lips. "Regarding your son Daniel?"

Daniel. So that was his son's name? Dean felt this sense of something he couldn't explain wash over him. He'd always wanted a son; much less he'd always wanted to name a son Daniel. He was excited and delighted his wish came true in the future.

"Yes actually," Future Dean pulled something out of his jacket pocket. He unfolded it and it was a crayon portrait of a family, his son's family. There was no sticker on it and the grade didn't match that of his classmates' grades. "Why did you mark my son's picture lower than anyone else's?"

"Mr. Winchester," the teacher leaned in closer to him. "I hardly think the picture is an appropriate thing to display to the other children."

Future Dean looked down at it; he couldn't find anything that was in the least inappropriate about it. Until it finally hit him.

"Ma'am," Future Dean sat up straight and his brows furrowed, he almost glared at her, but held back. "I take it you do not approve of my husband's and my lifestyle?"

"Do you want the truth Mr. Winchester?" she asked and Future Dean nodded. "Very well. Most people do not approve of it. It sets a bad example for our future children and it goes against God's will."

That was when Castiel stood up, angered and about ready to smite here where she sat. Future Dean jumped up as well and held him back.

"I'll have you know," Castiel glared, if looks could kill, at least the teacher seemed very scared now. "That I happen to know God on a deep level and I don't think he'd think of you as the devout Christian that you believe to be with your blatant discrimination. If you ask me that's the highest form of sin besides the seven others. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be withdrawing our son from your class and placing him in the hands of a truly mature and capable adult. Thank you and goodbye and may our presences never grace each other ever again."

With that Castiel rushed out of the classroom, through Dean, and down the hall. Future Dean chased after him. Dean turned his head and broke into a big smile.

"Damn," he whistled, laughing too. "Go Cas!"

"He certainly has the ability to speak his mind," Holly commented. "Especially when his children are involved. Or you."

It was true. Castiel had defended Dean on so many occasions. He'd never questioned the man's judgment, he'd never steered him the wrong way or cheated him or threatened him in any way. He'd always been loyal, unwavering, faithful, and loving in every way possible. Castiel had always been his best friend and his better half all in one and as Dean watched Future him chasing after his husband Dean knew it to be true. He couldn't imagine anyone else he'd want to be chasing down an elementary school hallway after he told off a particularly closed minded teacher.

"That was," Dean commented. "Freaking awesome."

"I hope you realize now what good fathers both you and Castiel will be," Holly said. "And what you have to look forward to. I do believe though that this event is over, there are others to see."

"No chick flick moments is my eternal rule," Dean pointed a finger at her. "I think what you just said before that last part qualifies as one."

"Come along Dean." Holly insisted and touched his shoulder. They flew off to whatever came next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	10. Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Future Dean teaches his daughter how to shoot and explores his past with her. Sam and Gabriel grow closer.

"Dad!" Dean turned his head to see they were in the house once again and his daughter was complaining about something. "I can't believe you won't let me do this!"

"For the last time," Future Dean exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air clearly frustrated as hell. "I will not allow that!"

"You and Papa do it all the time," his daughter yelled right back. "Why can't I?"

"Cuz you're too young!" Future Dean replied tired of arguing with her.

"I am not too young," she shot back. "I'm eighteen years old!"

Dean's mind at first went somewhere it probably shouldn't have. His eyes widened and he felt the strong urge to leave the room. He could feel his cheeks heating up. He and Castiel didn't really…did they?

"I just want to learn to shoot dad," his daughter argued. "Is that too much to ask, to know how to protect myself?"

Dean let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding and smiled in relief.

"Pervert." Holly remarked and Dean shot her a look. "You really went there of all places?"

"Hey," Dean defended. "I'm a forty year old male with…thoughts."

"That talk comes later." Holly said.

"Oh joy." Dean turned his attention back him and his future daughter.

"I forbid it because you have no need to protect yourself from anything you'd need to use a gun for," Future Dean argued. "If someone broke in, you'd call your Papa. He'd take care of it."

"What if something broke in instead?" his daughter asked, crossing her arms and Future Dean heaved a sigh. She'd never let up about creatures and things of that nature ever since she'd accidentally stumbled upon his trunk and everything in it. "What about then dad?"

"The probability of that happening," Future Dean said. He and Sam hadn't hunted in years. They'd left it to others who didn't have children to worry about. "Is zero to none."

"Those odds can always change," his daughter still argued. "That's what happens dad. Odds change."

"You're impossible you know that," Future Dean rolled his eyes. "Just like Cas."

"Well," she met her father's gaze. "I am his daughter. I got the logic from him and the stubbornness from you."

"I can agree with that ten times over," Future Dean replied, turning back towards her. He'd turned his back to her to leave, but after her last reply he found himself unable to. "Is it too late to ask Annahita for a refund?"

"Very funny." His daughter smirked and Future Dean chuckled.

Future Dean finally sighed heavily and ran his fingers across his chin.

"Go to the trunk of the Impala," he said, still not thrilled about the idea. "And pick out a gun."

His daughter ran off excitedly and Dean watched Future him roll his eyes for the fifth time in that entire conversation. The scene suddenly changed again and Dean and Holly were standing in Bobby's junkyard. Dean heard the familiar sound of his handgun and spun around to see Future him and his daughter down the way. She was aiming at some homemade targets and very focused as Future Dean instructed her how stand and when to pull the trigger. Dean couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, how gracefully she held the gun. There was something grand about it, but there was also something sad about it. Like she was made to hold it, Dean hated to think like that. Her long black and wavy hair fanned out across her shoulders and blew in the breeze. The pop that erupted through the air was almost deafening after she let go of the trigger. It was a perfect bull's eye.

"Nice job," Future Dean said as his daughter handed him the gun in the palm of his hand. "But not as nice as your old man."

"You're such a show off." she rolled her eyes and removed her ear muffs, looking over at the burnt rubble from where Bobby's house used to stand. Her smiled faded slowly and she stared as if she were looking at a ghost. Future Dean walked up beside her and sighed.

"I wish you could've met him." He remarked. "He'd have loved you and your brother."

"What was he like?" she asked, leaning into her father's side even though she was older now she still enjoyed being near him.

"He was the best man I've ever known," Future Dean said. "The most selfless, the kindest, the wisest, the most loyal and courageous man I've ever met in my life."

"He sounds like he was a hero." She replied.

"He was to me and Uncle Sammy." Future Dean nodded and unlatched his daughter from his side. "C'mon it's getting late. Papa's doing some things for his…work. What say we go to the diner?"

"Sounds awesome!" she exclaimed and ran with great speed to the car. Future Dean cleaned up the makeshift shooting range and hopped into the driver's seat. He sped off away from where Bobby's house had stood and down the road a few miles before he and his daughter reached their favorite diner. The parking lot was full and Future Dean wondered if he could even find a parking spot, luckily he did. The pair walked in and the bell sounded off. Future Dean smiled politely at the waitress and waved. She waved back and pointed to their favorite booth. Dean and Holly followed after them and no one seemed to notice. A few customers exiting even walked right through them as usual. Dean and Holly sat at the booth nearby, the one Dean and she had been seated in the first time he'd seen he had a daughter in the future.

"Tic tac toe?" he asked as he pulled out two pieces of blank white paper and smiled.

"Actually dad," she replied. "I'd rather draw, like we used to?"

"No one ever said we couldn't ever do that again." Future Dean smiled bigger and handed her a piece of paper and a box of crayons. His daughter smiled and started to sketch as best she could in crayon. He fingers worked methodically and both Deans watched as she crafted a magnificent red and purple flower out of nothing, but wax and her brain. Future Dean smiled and Dean broke into one too. He was glad her childlike wonder still hadn't fully escaped her. At least he was glad what he'd seen wasn't gone. Future Dean had neglected his drawing of a dog, a rather bad drawing, just to watch her. She didn't stop, not until the bell chimed and she looked up to see a boy about her age.

"Hey." He smiled at her and waved before picking up what he'd ordered.

"Hey Billy." She blushed and went back to what she'd been doing after he was gone. Taking a sip of the milkshake she'd ordered every so often.

"S'at the same Billy that called you an ugly face in second grade?" Future Dean smirked.

"People change." His daughter explained.

Dean smirked. So his future daughter had a crush? Lord knows the boy she had it on probably had had one on her since he'd called her that. Holly stared at them too and Dean saw the look cross her eyes again before disappearing. There was a small spot of red poking up from her collar, but Dean chose to ignore it once again. How was he supposed to bring that up in casual conversation? Holly quickly stood up and rushed out of the diner, Dean, in a frantic hurry followed after her. He stopped behind her some ways and watched as she sighed heavily, head down staring at the ground. She turned around when she realized he had followed her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, what almost looked like fear was in her eyes. "I felt dizzy so I just left…"

"You felt dizzy," Dean looked slightly confused. "So you stood up and went elsewhere?"

"It doesn't matter," she stood up straight and walked closer to him. "We have other things to see."

"Now hold on—"Dean begun to protest, but Holly whisked them away back to the house. They stood in the entryway of the house and Dean heard voices from the upstairs. He cocked his head and walked carefully upwards so as not to disturb anyone, not that he could if he tried. What he saw was equally shocking as it was what Dean had been expecting for awhile.

"Sasquatch," Gabriel said. "Relax. It was a joke."

"Gabe," Sam replied. "Now's not the time…"

"What is wrong with you?" Gabriel asked. "We had the best time ever last week when we had our lovely concert in the kitchen. Which quite frankly you seemed to enjoy. So what is it now?"

"Please," Sam protested. "Just drop it."

"You're afraid aren't you," Gabriel inquired. "Sammy why won't you just take the craziest of chances and allow yourself to be happy, just once?"

"Don't call me that…" Sam turned away from Gabriel who was standing on the left side of the bedroom, Sam on the right. Gabriel came closer so he was mere inches from Sam.

"What that's your name isn't it?" Gabriel said.

"My name is Sam." Sam argued.

"Well I like Sammy better." Gabriel stated.

A few moments of silence passed.

"Just admit you're afraid," Gabriel broke the silence. "And I'll stop bugging you about it."

"Fine," Sam spun around, gritting his teeth. "Maybe I am afraid! Maybe I'm afraid because everyone I've ever…cared about died! Everyone has, even if they came back they still left me!"

"You can't afford to think like that Sam," Gabriel walked even closer still and Sam looked down at him, his hair falling in his eyes. Gabriel's hand darted out and gently tucked it back behind Sam's ears. He stared at the archangel. "Not anymore, not with me. You won't have to with me. I swear you won't."

It was like magic. Those words tumbled through Sam like a waterfall. He felt a surge of emotions he hadn't felt since Jess. Someone actually cared for him. Someone wouldn't leave. He'd even said it, that he wouldn't. Sam could hardly keep his eyes dry after that. He didn't look Gabriel in the eyes. He couldn't for fear he'd truly lose himself. Not that he minded losing himself in the archangel's eyes. Over the past months after the whole Metatron debacle after the archangel had announced his rebirth to the Winchesters and Gabriel had started helping them, Sam had found that he could easily lose track of time talking to the sweets loving prankster. It felt strange to actually be listened to. Gabriel's eyes were like the sunsets he'd loved as a child; his voice was like the voice of reason mixed with honey. It was the nicest and strangest combination Sam had ever heard in his lifetime. His ears were open, always. He was a friend, a home for Sam's deepest fears and wishes. He was everything Sam had always wanted, needed.

Gabriel embraced Sam warmly, holding him as the tears threatened to spill forth. Sam stayed still; he didn't dare move, lest it all be a dream. But this was no dream, Gabriel's arms stayed around him until Sam pulled away staring into the archangel's golden eyes again. Gabriel smiled and leaned forward, kissing the corner of Sam's mouth. Sam looked at him.

"Get some sleep Sam Winchester," Gabriel said, turning back the covers for him. "It's getting late and you barely got any last night."

Sam climbed into the bed that was awaiting him, it was so inviting and warm he curled up almost immediately. Gabriel pulled the covers back up over him and stood up.

"I like the sound of your whole name," Gabriel smirked. "I think I'll use it more often."

Sam started to open his mouth, looking fearful.

"I'm not leaving," Gabriel walked over to the other side of the bed and lay down as well. "I told you. I won't."

Sam nodded, half asleep already. Gabriel's voice was lulling him into slumber and soon Sam shut his eyes. Gabriel looked over at him and slowly ran his hand down Sam's back, rubbing it tenderly in an affectionate manor.

"He practically poured his heart out," Holly interrupted the silence and Dean turned to look at her. "Now do you believe he's good for him?"

"I suppose I don't have much of a choice do I?" Dean sighed.

"Not really," Holly stated. "But I just wanted you to see that Sam is in good hands now. No matter what those hands have done in the past."

Dean stared on, he felt strange watching his brother sleep, but Gabriel kept a vigilant eye on Sam. He ran his fingers through Sam's long hair and the younger Winchester shifted a bit in his sleep. Holly started to retreat and motioned for Dean to follow. He did so and found that the house had disappeared once again and they were headed to the next round of events. Although this time Holly seemed rather…troubled as they approached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	11. Wings?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's daughter is given the verdict on whether or not she will receive wings.

All Dean saw was Castiel, standing in the hallway contemplating whether or not to enter his future daughter's room. All Dean heard was Stone Temple Pilots' 'Interstate Love Song' blasting from her radio. Future Dean walked by, a basket of clean laundry in his arms, he looked like a regular housewife.

"Hey get some better music taste," Future Dean joked with her. "Ya little STP nerd!"

"Oh bite me!" his daughter laughed, but there was something deeper hidden behind the laugh. It sounded like pain. Future Dean passed Castiel and touched him on the shoulder.

"She is a bit of a late developer," Castiel explained in a hushed whisper. "I figure now is as good a time as ever to show her where she truly came from. I think she's old enough at nineteen years."

"I think she'll love it," Future Dean smiled a little. "Who knows maybe someday the angel side of her will want to go up there and help you out?"

"It's about whichever side is stronger Dean," Castiel explained. "If the angel side is not as strong as the human side she will live the normal life span of a human and die just as easily as one. If the angel side is stronger, she will live immortally like me. Only Heaven's medicine specialists can determine that, that is why I was going to take her up there."

"Is that really true?" Dean asked Holly, his curiosity looming.

"For Nephilim yes," she explained. "They take on properties of both of their parents. If one gene strain is stronger than the other then that half will take over. They will either be more human or more angelic. There is no in between."

"Interesting…" Dean remarked, turning back to the scene before him.

"Isn't it though?" she replied.

"Okay Cas," Future Dean said. "I mean whatever you think is right. I'll be here with Daniel and Sammy and Gabriel. Just be back before dinner."

"Yes Dean." Castiel leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Future Dean smiled, a genuine smile, and strolled back downstairs after emptying the laundry basket. Castiel turned into his daughter's room and walked over to her. She sat on the bed in a loose tank top and sweatpants. She was hunched over and clearly in a bit of pain. Castiel inspected her back, there were definitely warmer glowing lines going down both of her shoulder blades. An indication of potential wings. "I know it hurts."

"Like hell," she sighed. "I apologize for cussing, but seriously."

"Come with me," Castiel said, standing up and helping her to her feet. "I have something to show you."

"Does it involve a lifetime supply of Aleve?" she whined.

"No unfortunately not," Castiel and his daughter walked down the stairs and out of the front door. "I see your father's humor is what you inherited from him. Where we are going is somewhere better than a medicine cabinet."

"I sure hope so cuz that's all I want right no—." she was cut off and she let out a yelp as Castiel took her hand and flew her upwards into the sky. Her stomach flipped twice before they safely landed in the seventh realm of Heaven and Castiel let go of her hand. She held her stomach and heart and tried not to look back down. "Holy…"

"That it is," Castiel said. "Welcome to Heaven my daughter."

Dean and Holly had been transported as well, Dean figured by Holly's doing. He hadn't been to Heaven since he and Sam died and were brought back. Their Heaven's, however; had differed from this part of Heaven. This was the nucleus of Heaven, everything it was and everything it would ever be.

"Wait," she asked. "As in the Heaven? Like where people go when they die?"

"This is where I work," Castiel said. "And hopefully one day you and your brother will too."

"Woah," she remarked. "It's so…beautiful."

"Come," Castiel said. "We have an appointment."

She followed Castiel and Dean and Holly did as well. Dean looked around at the Seventh Realm of Heaven and couldn't believe its beauty. Castiel had told him about Heaven awhile back, that there were Seven Realms and the Seventh was the center of Heaven where the Big House was located, the Distinguished Angel Council: a group of angels that oversaw angelic beings and tried their crimes, and supposedly where God had hung out before he decided to split. Castiel's story didn't do it justice.

"Cathalsis," Castiel said, approaching a building away from the Big House as the angels supposedly called it and walking over to another angel. "I've brought my daughter. I do believe it's time for her appointment."

"Ah the appointment," Dean looked at the angel, he was a bit younger looking than Castiel or rather his vessel was, he had short brown hair and paler skin. His eyes were hazel. He smiled at Dean's future daughter. "You grew up beautifully my dear. You probably don't remember me, but it was me who birthed you up here. Annahita would be so proud of her work."

"Annahita?" his future daughter seemed confused. "What?"

"I have much to explain I suppose," Cathalsis chuckled and motioned for her and Castiel to follow him inside. "Come inside and I'll tend to that ache in your back Miss Winchester."

Castiel, his daughter, Dean, and Holly all entered the building. Cathalsis led Castiel and his daughter to a back room that was filled with shelves upon shelves of medicines and potions. There was a small bed in the corner with a comfortable blanket and pillow. A table next to it was filled with surgical tools and a syringe. His daughter gulped and Holly seemed to visibly shake a bit. Dean took a look around while Castiel stood in the corner and watched as Cathalsis led his daughter over to the bed. He held out her arm and drew her blood, it moved up the syringe and she swallowed hard and looked away. Cathalsis dropped the blood into a vial and mixed it with this clear liquid. The liquid turned a cool and serene blue.

"I can't tell yet," Cathalsis said to Castiel. "She may or may not exhibit more of your grace than Dean's soul, but I can't be too sure. I may have to give her the medicine and we shall see if it causes her wings to burst out or not."

"Wings," his daughter's eyes went wide. "Wait you're saying I may end up with wings coming out of my freakin back?!"

"Potentially," Cathalsis said and Castiel put his hands in his pockets. "It is every angel's dream to have their offspring whether Nephilim or angelic in nature to continue their legacy."

Legacy? That was a lot to live up to, Dean thought. His legacy was certainly nothing to be proud of; if anything he hoped she took after Castiel and took most of his grace.

"Drink this," Cathalsis handed Dean's future daughter a glass of this green colored liquid and she drank it. A look of disgust passed over her face as she handed to the empty glass back to the medicine angel. Castiel waited patiently. "The results should show in the next hour. Then we shall see your destiny young lady."

"Dang," Dean said to Holly. "They really lay it on thick up here don't they? All this legacy and destiny crap."

"It's not crap," Holly defended, glaring a bit. "Many Nephilim go on to do great things."

"Okay," Dean threw his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry."

Dean assumed Holly made the time speed up because when he looked over again he saw a slightly disappointed look on Castiel's face and his future daughter looking slightly ashamed.

"I'm afraid the results were not as you had hoped Castiel," Cathalsis cleaned up his work station. "She has taken more of Dean's soul versus your angelic being. She always can serve Heaven after she no longer lives on earth."

His daughter gave him a funny look; she supposed it was easier than saying 'dead'.

"Thank you Cathalsis," Castiel replied, helping his daughter up from the bed. "Maybe Daniel will exhibit my angelic abilities."

"Maybe," Cathalsis smiled at Castiel's daughter as she exited. "Do not worry sweetheart. Annahita, Angel of Fertility, has simply blessed you with a different destiny than the others before you. You will be blessed with a normal human childhood, but do not despair in the fact that you may do great things one day."

"Thank you." His daughter genuinely smiled; at least someone believed she'd be just as great as Castiel had hoped. Dean was slightly miffed at Castiel for never taking into consideration their future daughter's wishes, at least not in this event.

"He wants this big future for her," Dean ranted to Holly. "But he doesn't see that she's just a kid. She wasn't ready for all of that anyway, even if she had been more like him."

"It is Castiel's Achilles heel," Holly replied. "He knows she's more like you and he's having a harder time accepting it. He loves her though, don't ever doubt that Dean, not throughout any of these events. Trust me; she'll…be a great person one day."

Dean could sense something else in Holly's voice, but once again ignored it. He'd become quite the expert on ignoring things that were strange about her. He, as much as he was enjoying this angelic thrill ride through his future, was still sticking to his original quest on waking up and getting back to reality. He even tried to ignore the three news scratches he saw on her arms. He knew angels had battle scars, but hers seemed to be appearing at a rapid rate. Or had he just never noticed them before now?

Dean followed Holly out of the building and back to the Seventh Realm where he watched his future daughter take a last look at the Big House. Her expression was a mixture of melancholy and relief and Dean couldn't tell which emotion was stronger. Castiel waited for her and slowly as she retreated to where he stood, he extended his hand. She took it and her and Castiel seemingly fell back to earth, but Castiel was flying. Dean and Holly followed. When they all made it safely to earth, Castiel walked off into the house and his daughter stood out front. She looked up at the sky, the clouds racing by low and fluffy. Dean felt for her, he could tell that she felt disappointed. In Heaven, in herself most of all.

"There is no way you could've let your Papa down," Titan, the family Angelhound, came up behind her and startled her. She jumped in her seat on the curb. He sat next her. "No one is ever what they're expected to be."

Dean liked this mutt already, even though he was yet to own him. Dean compared him to the grandmother of every family. Old, seemingly angelic, and wise.

"He worked it up though," she sighed, petting behind Titan's ears as he too looked up at the sky with her. "Acted like I was gonna be the next prodigy or some shit. I feel like I just crushed all of his dreams. Now it all lies on my brother's shoulders."

"It seems like yesterday you were just a child," it looked as though Titan smirked. "I remember it. It makes me feel old; even today you are still a child in my eyes. I was told long ago that you were my charge. I was to watch over you and protect you, but that doesn't mean I can't be a fountain of wisdom as well."

"Hit me." She replied.

"You will potentially go on to do great things yes," Titan explained. "But they will mean nothing unless you want them. You have to do it for yourself, for others yes, but above all for yourself. The creed of the Angelhounds is to help others no matter what the personal cost. At first I thought it was unfair, but as I lived it out I learned that helping others gives me a sense of personal satisfaction and what I thought I'd be losing I gained through what I've done. So, you will do great things that I can assure you, but I know you will because you have the bravest and kindest heart I've ever seen Miss Winchester."

"Did anyone ever tell you," she hugged Titan around his furry neck. "That you're the best?"

"Not until now." Titan nuzzled her head and licked her cheek.

"Thank God for the family dog." Dean chuckled, watching how Titan truly loved and cared about his future daughter. Holly watched the pair, now the sadness was evident in her eyes. "What's up with you? You look like you just lost your best friend?"

"I uh," she stammered. "I had an Angelhound; he died in a battle against an opposition of Heaven."

Dean could sense some fluctuations in her voice, but once again expertly ignored them. He didn't want to delve too deep into his angelic companion's past or thoughts. He only cared about getting out of his own head. Holly looked away from his daughter and Titan. She motioned for Dean to follow. He didn't want to leave once again, but something told him that he was closer than ever before to waking up. With that in mind, he followed Holly again blindly into the next event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	12. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is shown Sam and Gabriel moving on and moving out. He is also shown Christmas.

Dean felt as though the future was soon coming to an end, or rather it was inside his mind. There was a part of him that didn't want to it to end. There was a part of him that wanted it to stay as it was. He would be perfectly content wandering through the tendrils of his mind forever, but he knew beyond his mind was the waking world. He needed to be there. He needed to see his family again. He needed to wake up.

"Your brother's life still intertwines with yours," Holly explained as they landed. "It is important that you see some of his future as well, to show that you are still family."

"I guess me and Sammy had to grow apart at some time." Dean sighed, he didn't know if he could imagine his life without Sam in it every day, but he supposed that was what this event was supposed to prove to him.

Holly motioned to the house once again and now there were two cars in front of it. Dean's iconic Impala and another old car from the Men of Letters bunker. Sam must've driven it all the way to the house. The car was filled to the brim with a few suitcases and small pieces of furniture and it had been left running. Six humans and one hound were on the front steps of the house.

"I'm gonna miss ya Sammy," Future Dean hugged his younger brother and held him tight for a moment. "We gotta stop splitting up like this man."

"Hey," Sam joked. "At least this time one of us isn't dead."

"Very true," Future Dean laughed. "Hey do these tacos taste funny to you?"

"Stop," Sam replied. "No more talk of that infernal Tuesday."

Dean's daughter looked very confused. She held her brother's hand as he watched the fallen leaves blow down the sidewalk and into the street. He seemed the least sad about his uncle's departure, but he was also young. Castiel stood by his brother Gabriel and nodded in response to Gabriel's goodbye. Even after being with Future Dean for so long, he still hadn't mastered many human gestures down to a tee.

"Inside joke." Future Dean quickly clarified.

"I'm gonna miss you…" Dean's daughter hugged Sam around his middle and Sam returned the hug more gently than he had Future Dean's.

"You'll see me at Christmas," Sam replied. "I promise."

Sam swung his old duffel bag he'd used for hunting over his shoulder and begun to walk towards the car. Gabriel followed by his side. Dean watched his brother, walking with the archangel. He seemed to have no destination in mind, yet he seemed to know where he was going in that car. Dean had never seen this amount of determination or happiness in Sam before, not positive determination that is and certainly never true happiness. Dean saw the way Sam smiled over at Gabriel and Gabriel's playful but sincere smirk back at his brother. Dean remembered his time with Lisa. Thought it had been short, he remembered looking at her like that. Smiling with her like that. Loving her like that.

"It was like you with Castiel," Holly explained to Dean, coming up beside him. "The emotional attraction was there first, the physical came after. Sexuality is fluid. We can't help who we love; all we can help is why we love them."

Gabriel opened the passenger side door and Sam begun to walk around to the driver's side, but he suddenly felt pressure on his leg. Daniel had broken free from his sister's grip and ran all the way over to Sam. He hugged him around the leg and looked saddened suddenly. His sister looked at him, slightly shocked. Sam smiled as he looked down at the young boy.

"Hey champ," Sam knelt down, so he was at his level. "I'm not leaving forever. I'll be back for Christmas and every other holiday or occasion. Okay?"

"I don't want you to leave," Daniel's bottom lip quivered. "I love you too much."

Dean could almost physically feel his heartstrings aching.

"I'll always be with you," Sam explained to Daniel. "I promise I'm not gonna leave forever."

"Take me with you!" Daniel exclaimed, making it sound like the best idea in the world to him.

"Now if I took you with me," Sam replied playfully. "Then who would take care of your daddy? See that used to be my job."

Future Dean smiled, Dean did as well, pride radiated through each of theirs.

"Really?" Daniel asked.

"Really," Sam nodded with a smile. "We used to have to take care of each other, but now I need someone to take over that very special job. I think you could do it?"

"I wanna do it!" Daniel replied, a smile returning to his face.

"Okay then," Sam smiled. "Can you watch over your daddy for me while I'm gone? Make sure he's okay?"

"Yes," Daniel nodded. "Daddy I'm s'posed to watch over you!"

"Okay kiddo," Future Dean chuckled and gently patted Titan's back, signaling him it was time to go collect Daniel. "Why don't you come on inside so Uncle Sammy can get going? It's getting cold anyway."

Daniel nodded frantically, hugging Sam and giving him a kiss on the cheek, before running inside of the house with Titan by his side the whole time, the hound even gave a paternal bump on the boy's back to ensure he was headed in the right direction. Dean smiled fondly at the Angelhound he was yet to own. He liked him already; he enjoyed seeing such a parental nature coming from such an unlikely source. Titan's appearance made for a rather interesting discussion as to whether he was friendly or not to the average neighbor. To the average eye he appeared to be a wolf.

"He watches over Daniel for your son's lifetime," Holly explained. "The entirety of your family as well. Even Sam while he's away."

"That's a comforting thought," Dean nodded in response and he watched as the car Sam had borrowed started to drive away from the curb and down the street, his brother at the wheel. "Speaking of Sam, where is he going?"

Future Dean and his family went off into the house just as Holly put a hand on Dean's shoulder and took him to the next event. Dean landed in the middle of an unfamiliar living room. He was in a small apartment, the ceilings were high enough so as not to cause claustrophobia and the flooring was solid wood. There was some furniture, but none of it was lavish or expensive looking. There was a small TV in the corner near a sliding glass door. Dean turned around and looked out to the backyard which was an expanse of nothing, but sand, dunes, and ocean. There was a small path through the dunes leading from the deck to the beach. There were separate doors leading to two other rooms, one of which Dean assumed was a bedroom and the other was visibly an office. There was a small kitchen near the front door where Dean saw a sight he didn't think he'd ever see.

His younger brother and Gabriel were both in the kitchen, there was music blasting, music Dean would never listen to, but he knew made his brother happy. Sam's head was thrown back in laughter as he and Gabriel danced. Gabriel's smile was beaming like it was made of sunshine itself as he looked up at Sam's outburst. Whatever they were cooking was still in the stove, it had some time left on it. The two of them were in sock feet and Sam in a t-shirt and his Stanford sweatpants. Gabriel was dressed in his usual attire, minus the green jacket he usually wore which was hung on a peg in the wall near the entrance. When Sam stopped laughing about whatever he'd been laughing about he looked back down to see Gabriel staring at him.

Dean observed the way they looked at each other. He could see one million titles: friends, companions, kindred spirits, and Dean could easily add one more: happy. Dean, who had been so opposed at first to Sam's relationship with the former Trickster in the beginning of his future, saw now what he'd been missing from the beginning. This was his future yes, but his brother wasn't ceasing to be a part of it either. Sam finally had what he and Dean had been fighting for from the beginning: happiness. Dean broke into an even bigger smile at his conclusion.

Gabriel's eyes seemingly sparkled and Sam's hazed over. The pair kissed, sweet and gently. There was nothing, but passion in it. Dean smiled again, turning away. He didn't want to invade on such a private moment. The light was shining through the sliding glass door and onto Holly. Her eyes shimmered, almost glass like. Or that glass was in them? Dean shook it off, a trick of his eyes maybe? Holly looked away and out the door. The clouds covered the sun, almost as thought she'd willed them to. Dean still couldn't help, but stare.

"Your brother kept his promise," Holly explained, flying them back to Future Dean's house. "He comes home every Christmas and other occasion. It makes the kids happy."

The house was lit up with Christmas lights. Something Dean normally dreaded, but in this event they seemed to light up in such a way that it almost made him smile…almost. He typically hated Christmas. Sam did too. But as Dean was transported inside, he felt a whole new emotion take over. It was nothing, but joy and wonderful smells in the house. There was a turkey cooking in the oven from what he could smell. There was a rather big Christmas tree covered in ornaments and lights in the corner of the living room. There was already a load of presents underneath it. There were three very full stockings hanging above the fireplace. Dean's daughter sat on the couch, reading a book. Daniel hopped around in excitement and anticipation all while playing with a toy plane he was currently flying around the living room with his hand. The sound effects courtesy of his mouth. Castiel sat at the dining room table, going over some papers. Future Dean was in the kitchen, cooking everything that was producing the yummy smells. Dean felt like he was in a fairy tale.

"When's Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe gonna get here," Daniel whined impatiently from the living room, his body sliding down onto the floor from where he'd been seated on the footrest. "So we can open presents?"

"Presents," Future Dean came out of the kitchen, teasing his son with a smile on his face. "What are these presents you speak of? I don't see any presents at least not for you?"

"What," Daniel exclaimed. "The presents are right here! I saw my name on a bunch of em!"

"Oh those presents," Future Dean pretended to act clueless. "Duh! Some of those are for you yeah, but I bet Santa gave you coal in your stocking ya little stinker!"

Future Dean picked his son up upside down by the ankles and gave a raspberry to his belly. Daniel squealed in delight and squirmed, trying to get free of Future Dean's grasp. Titan entered the room and barked at all of the excitement.

"Titan," Future Dean exclaimed, laughing the whole time. "Get his face! Lick him!"

"No!" Daniel squealed. Future Dean's daughter was laughing harder than even Dean was.

Titan gladly obliged and proceeded to lick all of Daniel's face as he squealed even louder and tried hard to get away from Future Dean. Finally, after Daniel's face was thoroughly sticky from hound slobber, Future Dean swung his son back upwards and balanced him on his hip. Daniel rubbed at his face. The timer for their dinner went off at the same time as the sound of a car engine being cut off in front of the house. Titan barked.

"Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe!" Daniel jumped out of Future Dean's arms and started to run for the door, but Castiel stopped him.

"Go wash your face," Castiel instructed him, Daniel pouted. "Sam and Gabriel will still be here when you're done. You can't greet them with a face full of dog slobber can you?"

"I can't," Daniel pointed to Titan, who was next to him. "But Titan can?"

Future Dean's laughter erupted from the living room. Titan cocked his head.

"He's special," Castiel patted Daniel's bottom and hurried him along to the upstairs bathroom. "Now do as I said please."

Daniel scrambled off up the stairs to wash his face. Sam and Gabriel stepped through the front door, each wearing a matching Santa hat. Dean's daughter got up from her spot on the couch and walked over towards the door, taking the bags of gifts off of Sam and Gabriel's hands. Castiel greeted them each with a warm hug and Future Dean patted Sam on the back during his. Sam scratched behind Titan's ears and the Angelhound gave a content sigh. Daniel bolted down the stairs.

"Uncle Sammy! Uncle Gabe!" he yelled and about knocked Sam over when he hugged him. Sam laughed and patted his head.

"Hey there champ," Sam smiled. "You been good for your dad and your papa?"

"Well duh," Daniel laughed. Dean couldn't help, but notice how much Daniel looked like he did when he was younger, but with an even mix of Castiel in there too. His two different colored eyes were his distinct feature. A little unique trait from Annahita. "Whatcha bring me?!'

"Daniel," Castiel scolded. "That is not very polite. They just got here."

"Sorry…" Daniel sheepishly looked down.

"Hey," Gabriel smirked. "It's all good. It is Christmas isn't it? The kid's just excited is all! As for what we brought you, well you're gonna like it."

Daniel's face lit up and he jumped up and down excitedly. The radio was softly playing in the living room, set to a local station. Dean was shocked; it was so rare that Dean didn't play rock and roll:

"We are love, we are one. We are how we treat each other when the day is done. We are peace, we are war. We are how we treat each other and nothing more."

The voice coming out of the radio was smooth and happy. Dean, though he was an avid rock and roll lover, determined he liked the song already. He watched as happy smiling faces joined together in the living room and the song seemed to last forever. There was a part of Dean, a part he'd tell nowhere, that wished it would.

Because he wished he could see the smiling faces of his family opening their gifts for hours. He could watch Daniel unwrap his Hot Wheels Tracks and army men all day. His daughter got mostly clothes and music. Castiel got a lot of books. Future Dean got some automotive stuff, but also a model car kit that he and Daniel could do together. Sam got ITunes money and new workout gear. Gabriel got a scarf. Titan proudly flaunted the bright red collar with angelic wing dog tags on it he'd received. And Dean got a warm fuzzy feeling.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean found moments later that he and Holly were walking. They were walking with the group known as Dean's future family. They were all donning their winter coats, scarves, gloves and hats. Daniel ran ahead of all of them, Titan fast on his trail as Castiel warned him to watch for cars. Future Dean's daughter strode by Castiel a smile on her face. She was beautiful; Dean could've guessed she was at least twenty now maybe a little older. Daniel looked at least eight. Dean wasn't trying to keep track of ages though, only moments. Future Dean walked next to Castiel; the pair was hand in hand. Sam and Gabriel trailed the pack, walking side by side. Dean and Holly were right beside them. Their conversation was the only one Dean heard.

"They sure are something aren't they?" Gabriel remarked on Future Dean and Castiel's children.

"Perfect angels," Sam laughed. "Quite literally."

"You ever think about it?" Gabriel asked. Dean knew what the archangel meant.

"Not yet Gabe," Sam smiled, looking over Daniel once again, running a muck and Future Dean's daughter who'd turned into a beautiful young woman overnight. "Not just yet."

"Okay Sammy," Gabriel took his hand and smiled up at him. "How about a dog first?"

"That sounds perfect." Sam replied and the pair kept walking, trying to catch up with the others. Dean saw the park where he'd met Holly and where this had all started. He sensed this was all starting to come full circle. Holly held back, stopping as Dean kept walking. He stopped moments later and turned around, confused.

Holly looked almost…scared.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Not yet," she muttered to herself, and then looked over at Dean. "I don't think you're going to like what comes next…"

Holly's eyes looked like they were made of glass again. Dean became increasingly more concerned. Holly looked as though she couldn't control what was happening next. They were being whisked away, not by her hand.

The next thing Dean knew he and her were standing in a median on a busy road. At least the road would've been busy during the day. It was night and Dean had an overwhelming feeling of what appeared to be dread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	13. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean learns the truth.

"Where are we?" Dean asked, the wind was blowing, but it was a warm wind.

"Great Ridge Parkway," Holly answered with melancholy tones in her voice. "Midnight."

"Okay what's with the cop procedural drama talk," Dean gave her a look. "What's going on here?"

Holly didn't say a thing. She simply pointed across the street at a car stopped at the end of the road. A red pickup truck. The driver was clearly female based on the outline Dean could make out in the car, but she was distorted and hidden for some reason. She was on the phone. For some reason Dean found that he could hear the conversation.

"Trust me dad," the driver said, the voice sounded familiar somehow. "I'm going to seriously reconsider the major I'm pursuing. The work load is hard. I'll call you when I get there. I love you and Papa."

His daughter?

She hung up and went to pull out. The next few moments were a blur as Dean watched a collision of metal on metal. He heard a sickening crunch that was only associated with bones breaking. He didn't even hear a cry of pain or an exaltation of any kind. There was squealing of tires and brakes, crunching of metal and bone and body, and nothing more. Dean stood, pale and shocked. He could feel himself shivering even though the wind wasn't cold. Dean felt his words catch in his throat. Why was Holly showing him this?

He tried to move, but he couldn't. It was like he was glued to the median. There was glass everywhere. There was blood, so much blood spilling onto the black top. The other car's occupant wasn't moving either. He lay as still as Dean's Future daughter. Her truck was totaled. There was so much blood under her truck bed and the door was so crunched up it had basically fallen off. It felt like hours within a few seconds, but Dean watched as the ambulances and police came. There was a frenzy of running bodies and the flashing lights were seemingly in a blur. Dean couldn't even think straight. He was still in shock himself. He watched the hospital gurneys. Two black bags.

"Winchester." Was the only thing he heard, he couldn't make out the first name they said.

"Time of death," the ambulance driver said. "12:34am."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean was transported to another event fast. He hadn't had time to even process the first one. It all felt like a bad dream, just a bad dream that's all it was. Now he stood, with Holly behind him and a graveyard in front. In the distance was a group, huddled around one particular gravestone. The name etched into it was much too hard to make out and once again Dean felt like he was held back by a forceful invisible hand. He saw his family. He saw Future him, clutching Castiel's hand like it was an anchor. Castiel was as deathly pale as Future Dean. Sam and Gabriel stood slightly to the right. Dean could see the sadness evident in both of their eyes, the pure sadness inside of both of them. Titan's ears drooped and his head was downcast. Daniel clung to Future Dean's leg, leaning against it. He looked confused as hell. He looked scared too. Castiel placed a hand on his back; Dean could see he was trying to stay strong for Daniel.

Dean didn't know why either, but he could hear everyone's words, even from far away.

"Goodnight sissy." Daniel meekly said and placed his favorite teddy bear down in front of the grave. Castiel took him away to the Impala which was parked outside of the graveyard. Sam and Gabriel each set down a single rose.

"God," Sam said. "You were…you were gonna do good things. Such good things. We love you baby girl."

"Rest in paradise angel," Gabriel said. "Your smile's gonna light up all of Heaven."

Sam stayed a moment longer so Future Dean wouldn't be alone. Gabriel walked back to the car so Castiel and Daniel wouldn't have to be alone in their silence. Titan's tags jingled as he stood, he approached the grave. He mournfully howled as Future Dean walked away fast. Titan could've expected it; he didn't expect the man to be able to comprehend something like this.

"Did anybody ever tell you that you're the best?"

Her words echoed through Titan's head as if she'd said them to him yesterday.

"Not until now."

Titan turned his head away from the grave. His ears flattened and he disappeared. He vanished into thin air, disappearing for awhile. Dean wished that was what he could do too. He didn't know why he was being forced to watch this. He watched Future him, standing alone in the graveyard.

Future Dean stalked back over to the grave and let out this almost inhuman sounding cry of pure anguish. It made Dean sick to his stomach. Future Dean's tears stained his face and his words wouldn't come, like they were choked by the air. This was a level of sadness Dean hadn't felt in years. Future Dean's fingers touched the top of the grave and ran over the letters down to the bottom of it. It was like he was trying to hold onto her, like he still could. Damn he would if he could. Dean could see the years of memories flooding back to Future him, he could only imagine them all flooding his head and coming at him like a freight train. Even though Dean hadn't felt it himself, not yet, he could feel her death. He could feel her baby form in his arms, rocking her. He could feel her tiny feet on top of his boots, dancing with him. He could hear her laughter like a ghost in the wind. He knew it would haunt him even after he woke up. All he could think of was the beautiful girl in the ground, the wonderful girl who would never hear another Stone Temple Pilots song, who would never feel the grip on the wheel of the Impala ever again, who would never be reading on the couch when Future Dean came from work ever again, his future daughter, his future daughter who was so much his, who would never be ever again. He found himself crying tears for a girl who'd yet to exist. The last thing Dean saw before Future him walked off was his fingers clutching a necklace. The necklace Sam had given him and he'd given her. Dean knew, even now that somehow he'd never wear it ever again.

"I didn't want you to see this," Holly spoke up behind him. "I'm sorry."

Dean spun around, about to reply in outrage at what she'd showed him, but instead he almost gasped. Holly's perfect skin was covered in tiny cuts. One of which above her eye was bleeding. The look of glass was back in her eyes, screw that, there was actual glass in her eyes Dean could see it and she seemed to shy away as Dean got closer to her. Dean gave her a confused look. His eyes traced her abrasions and soon settled on her neck. There were a few there, but there was something even more peculiar to Dean. A necklace he hadn't noticed before. The chord was black. The pendant was barely peeking out from underneath her jacket. Dean tried to look closer, but suddenly Holly was gone and Dean was left alone in the graveyard until the scenery started to change around him.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

He was in the damn diner again. Dean couldn't understand how he'd ended up there again. They'd just been there. Dean looked around at the busy customers milling about and chatting and laughing and he couldn't help but feel angry. How was it they were allowed to be happy inside his head? He felt like yelling at them, but he refrained. He knew they couldn't hear him. It was pointless. Dean looked around him, desperately searching for a way out. He spotted Holly.

"Hey!" he yelled. She looked at him with wide eyes and disappeared again. He rushed over to the spot she was at, but couldn't reach her in time. The diner went on as it always had, never changing. Dean yelled in rage and looked around again. The glass force field was back. Dean touched it, it was his only chance. He pressed at it, hoping it would break faster, but no such luck. He growled in anger and contemplated his options. He watched as the door opened and closed once again, the door that led to nowhere. Dean had an idea. He ran over to the door and stared at where the glass force field was cracking at a snail's pace. He couldn't help, but think that it was Holly's doing. Dean looked at the glass and closed his eyes. It felt like slow motion as he ran towards the force field. He covered his face with his arms and bust through it. The glass broke immediately and it felt as though time was standing still for a split second. Dean opened his eyes and saw the shards floating in the air, motionless. He even tried to touch one to see if it worked, but before he could he landed on his back in an empty and dusty room. Dean coughed and cautiously stood up, hoping he hadn't hurt himself too badly. He looked around; he'd tried to envision Holly, where she was, before he'd jumped through the glass. He'd hoped it worked and as soon as he saw her in the corner, her back to him, he knew it had. He stood up and started walking over to her.

"It all makes sense now," he said, turning her around so abruptly she gasped and yanking her jacket out of the way so he could see the necklace she had around her neck. "Why you never told me my daughter's name. Why I never got to hear or read anything with her first name on it. Why there was an H on the door of her damn room. Why you wouldn't let me see her face in the accident. Because you didn't want me to know what she looked like did you? You didn't want me to know the truth; you were trying to avoid it. You were trying not to let me see this part of the future…because…"

Dean could barely get the words to come out.

"Because you're my daughter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	14. Truth and Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly knows Dean is angry for her deception, but she has shown him what the future will be, now it's up to him to take it as is or not take the risk at all.

"No more running," Dean's voice was surprisingly calm. "No more lies or secrets. You tell me the truth and first of all tell me how you're even here right now because from what I've interpreted here today you don't even exist yet?"

"Dean," Holly pleaded, hoping she wouldn't have to explain. Dean gave her a look. "Daddy…"

"Tell me." Dean demanded.

"It's sort of like a death echo, but in reverse." she sighed. "Many times God can conjure up a perfect replica of a person even if they haven't been born yet. He fills up their dead mind with their future memories and sends them into the dream world."

"So you're like a succubus?" Dean inquired. "What with the dream travel and all that, but no sexual stuff. Just omens and oracles?"

"Essentially yes," Holly nodded. "I was given an order by God to show you your future. He often does this. If you've ever heard of a person's life flashing before their eyes? Or a near death experience? Or in your case, a comatose future tour."

"So you're telling me that God's trying to wake me up?" Dean pointed upwards, he wasn't buying it, but here she was his daughter standing before him. She looked like she'd gone a few rounds with a Hellhound, but after seeing the car crash Dean knew why. "Excuse my French, but why does God give a rat's ass about me?"

"Because of His son," Holly swallowed hard. "You make His son happy."

"Jesus?" Dean asked, trying hard not to raise his voice any louder than it was.

"Castiel," Holly shot back at him, Dean took a step back at her defensive tone. "My Papa."

Dean stared at her for a moment. She let out a giant sigh and looked him in the eyes. Dean almost felt the anguish Future Dean had just by looking at her. She was cut up and bleeding and glass filled her eyes. She was a royal mess. One day she would be his and Castiel's royal mess though, that is if Dean wanted that. Just by looking at her future condition, Dean didn't think he did.

"Why do you think God kept bringing him back," Holly asked Dean, her voice going a bit lower. "All those times. Because you didn't know it Dean, but he did. He knew that you looked at Castiel and you saw hope. He knew that you looked at him and saw friendship, but you saw more. You saw what Sam will see in Gabriel. A kindred soul which matches with yours. You love Castiel, but not just as a friend and don't try to lie to me in your own mind because I'm sure if I could that I could find a million thoughts and images that prove I'm right."

"I…" Dean tried to lie, to think up anything, but the truth. But he couldn't. He'd been shown his future after all and there was no faking any of that. "You're not wrong."

"See?" she smiled a little, a tiny half smile in the right crook of her mouth. "Now you're learning."

"You really are my daughter," Dean remarked. "Sarcasm and all."

"I learned from the best as I said before," Holly replied. "You and Papa will teach me a great deal."

"I just want to know why," Dean said. "I want to know why you showed me it. The worst part of my future."

"Correction," Holly said, Dean raised an eyebrow. "The worst part of my future. I showed you because I realized that even early on I couldn't fight it. I tried to avoid it because I knew you'd react badly, but eventually I had to give in. I'm glad I did."

"Glad," Dean exclaimed. "Why in the hell would you want to see your own death?!"

"To remind you," Holly explained. "How fragile and short life is."

Dean tried to argue back, but he found he couldn't. She had a more valid point than anything he could've thought of in response.

"If I had shown you only the good and not the bad," Holly went into a long dissertation. "I'd have been lying to you. My death would've hit you like a sideswipe with no warning. Most people don't get the luxury of knowing when loved ones are going to die. You and Sam are special cases; you've received warnings about a lot of deaths all of your lives. If I hadn't showed you my death you'd have done something stupid to try and bring me back. I showed you to prove to you that I will accept death should it come to me. I've accepted my own even before it happens. I showed you so that you can let go."

"I can't," Dean shook his head and turned away from her, he couldn't look at her. It made him hurt deep inside. "I can't accept that Holly. You're my daughter. You're supposed to outlive me. Not the other way around."

"Daddy," Holly said softly. "Just…please let me show you one more thing? Before you have to go, before you have to wake up?"

Dean stood, hands in his pockets. He looked over at his daughter. Here she had put him through his future and hell combined and she was insistent on him seeing more? Dean had been hoping to reach the end from the beginning. It had been his goal all along, to wake up, to go home. But now that he stood so close, he still felt so far away. He felt like if he didn't see what she wanted to show him now, he'd feel incomplete. He finally sighed and nodded in response.

"Okay fine," Dean said. "Show me. What's so important that I see it before I get to go home?"

Holly touched him on the shoulder again and flew them back to house Future Dean had bought. The air was slightly warmer. Dean guessed it was summer. The windows in the living room were open and soft music poured out, not the usual rock and roll that Dean played in his car. Holly flew them inside of the house. The downstairs consisted of Castiel sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. Dean was cooking. Holly flew them upstairs and showed him the upstairs. The door that had led to his future daughter's, Holly's, room was shut. The one to Sam's old room was shut too. Two others were open. The door to Castiel and Dean's room and the door to Daniel's room.

Dean peered through the door. Daniel was rushing around on a cell phone, chatting with a friend Dean assumed. Daniel had grown into a handsome teenager who looked just as Dean had in his teen years. Dean noticed also that in the corner of the boy's room a familiar canine face was carefully watching. Titan was lying down and seemingly being ignored by Daniel as he rushed to put his shoes on. Daniel went to leave his room, hanging up his phone and as he stalked over to the door Titan's head shot up. He barked, standing up.

Daniel looked back at him and even though he was in a hurry the boy hugged him tight around the neck, closing his eyes as he did so. Titan nuzzled the side of Daniel's head.

"I love you Titan." Daniel smiled and waved before running off and as if he were five again, Titan gave a little tap of his nose to Daniel's bottom. Daniel didn't seem to notice, but it was almost as if Titan smiled as he watched the boy descend the stairs, grabbing his skateboard along the way and then disappearing.

"Love ya too." Titan had appeared to pick up quite a lot of human lingo in the future. "Daniel."

Dean watched Titan lie back down and close his eyes. He couldn't help, but smile. He heard Daniel downstairs bidding future him and Castiel a goodbye and Castiel warning him to be careful. Daniel gave out 'I love you's' too. In fact the entire family seemed to be giving them out more frequently after Holly's death. So far Dean had noticed that.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The next thing Dean knew he was on a beach. A familiar beach. The beach behind Gabriel and Sam's apartment. The sky was a bit cloudy and the beach was deserted. Deserted except for a few figures Dean saw in the distance. He saw Sam and Gabriel. Sam looked a little older than he did now in the waking world. Gabriel hadn't seemed to age. What surprised Dean the most was who was in between them, holding each of their hands. A little boy. He had golden hair like Gabriel and when he looked over at him Dean saw that he had hazel eyes like Sam. His giggle could easily be infectious and his smile was precious. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put together what had happened here. In front of the happy family ran a happy Black Labrador Retriever with a matching collar like Titan's and the same angelic dog tags. His tongue was hanging out and he barked at Sam. Sam petted behind the dog's ears and it took off again down the sand and through the surf.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean found himself back at his future house next. It was night. There was only one light on, the downstairs living room light. The music played again. This time it was a bit faster, but only a bit. It was perfect to dance to and dancing was what was occurring. Dean peeked in through the window and saw future him and Castiel dancing back and forth in sock feet and pajamas in the living room. Castiel's smile was unwavering and Dean's almost as bright as the sun. Their matching rings glittered even in the low light. Dean's strong hands were intertwined with Castiel's and Castiel's head was thrown back in laughter until he could laugh no more and he rested his face in Future Dean's shoulder. Future Dean smiled down at him and continued the dance. Castiel's eyes closed contently as he swayed back and forth in the arms of the man he loved.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The last place Dean ended up was where he'd hoped he wouldn't. The graveyard. But the aura this time was different. It was less pain, less anguish, the air was filled with something more like…acceptance? Dean looked over at where Holly's gravestone stood. There were four figures huddled around it. Three human, one dog. Castiel, Daniel, Future Dean and Titan. The flowers on the grave were fresh and their son's old stuffed animal was amazingly still hanging in there. It hadn't disintegrated yet. Daniel had Titan by his side; the Angelhound nuzzled his leg and licked his hand. Daniel looked down at him and gave a small smile before walking off and away from the grave. Titan followed him like a hawk. Castiel stood with Future Dean, hand in hand. They looked at the carving of her name on the stone and the dates of when she was born and when she'd died. Dean was silently grateful they didn't put how people died on their graves.

"Are you ready Dean?" Castiel asked.

"Yes," Future Dean nodded and Castiel squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek before walking off to where Daniel was waiting. Future Dean stayed a few more moments. "You'd be proud of your brother. He's getting straight A's in school. Your Papa is serving Heaven well and so are you I'm sure. Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe have a son now. He's five. You'd love him. He's perfect. I miss you every day princess, but I know you're not in pain. You're watching over me just like my mom said. She'd always said that angels would watch over me every day…"

He looked over at Castiel who was tending to Daniel's crooked buttons on his flannel and Daniel rolled his eyes. Titan barked at them.

"Anyway," Future Dean smiled a little, it was real too, Dean could tell. "You will always be my little girl even if I can't see you anymore. I know you're watching over me and I love you every day and night, don't you forget that, ever. Oh and uh one more thing…"

Future Dean pulled a cellophane bag out of his pocket and inside was assorted flavors and colors of gummy bears. He looked at the bag a moment before setting it at the foot of Holly's grave. He smirked.

"I always enjoyed our gummy bears toss wars," Future Dean started to walk away. "We'll have another one someday."

Future Dean left the grave and Dean stared in disbelief. He, Dean Winchester, being so nonchalant about death. Especially hers!

"It's called moving on," Holly explained to Dean, deep seriousness in her voice. "It stills hurts. For all of you. It will hurt for the rest of your lives, but you've moved on and slowly it will start to hurt less and less. You've accepted it. You've accepted that I'm in a happy and painless place. This daddy, dare I say it, this may be the most important part of your future. The part where you all find strength, love, and peace together in the face of despair."

Dean looked at her, he stared. He waited. He waited for her to continue.

"You and Papa," Holly looked over as everyone disappeared out of the graveyard gates. "And Titan and my brother and Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe. You all are the wind beneath my wings, we are all what makes your future Dean Winchester, but ultimately it's up to you."

"Up to me?" Dean asked.

"The future can always change," Holly explained. "Nothing is ever set in stone. It all depends on what you're willing to go after. I can't control what choice you make when you wake up, but Daddy…"

She took Dean's hands in hers; somehow they'd healed as had the rest of her. She looked like she did when Dean and she had met at the park before he'd even seen a glimpse of the future he could have. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"I know you'll make the right choice." She finished.

Dean felt her hands slip out of his and he felt them for the first and last time. She stepped back, a smile on her face and watched as the scenery around them started to disappear. Dean watched too. The trees became no more, the grass disintegrated below his feet, and the sky was starting to become white. Even Holly herself started to fade away. Dean wanted to say something else, anything else, but as soon as she was almost gone she simply waved goodbye and the world around Dean inside of his head went white.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

In the hospital room Sam and Castiel sat. They had been waiting for weeks for Dean to wake up. The doctors had given them hope in the beginning, but now they were giving Dean slim chances. Sam hated those odds. But as Sam went to turn a page in his magazine, his hope returned. For he heard the unmistakable sound of his brother muttering. Both Castiel and Sam jumped up and rushed over to the bedside. Dean shot up, breathing heavily, eye blown. Sam smiled; relieved he called for the doctor. Castiel simply laid a hand on Dean's back. Dean looked over at him.

"Welcome back Dean." He said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


	15. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean makes his choice.

One month after he woke up…  
\--------------------------  
Dean hadn't talked about it. Castiel hadn't asked. Sam had wanted to, but didn't know how to bring it up. It's not like Sam or Castiel knew what Dean had seen one month ago when he'd met Holly in his mind. It had been the little things that had made them want to ask Dean.

Dean hadn't wanted to stop at a diner on any hunts. Finally though Sam had convinced him to stop at this particular one that seemed very familiar the second Dean pulled up to it and walked inside. It was like déjà vu. He knew every waitress and every chef behind the counter window. He saw customers laughing and milling about. This was the diner in his head. Why had Sam chosen that place? Why? Dean sighed and sat down at the exact booth that he and Holly had chosen every time they'd visited the place in his head. The cheery waitress walked over took all of their orders. Sam, a salad. Castiel ordered nothing. Dean begrudgingly settled on a cheeseburger. At least he knew they were good. He tried not to stare at Castiel across from him in the booth, where Holly had sat in his mind, because the more he looked at Castiel the more he saw Holly. The more he saw a girl he wanted so badly to meet, but wanted to run away from at the same time. Dean looked away when Castiel stared back at him, confused as to why Dean was looking in the first place, but Dean could sense a bit of shyness in Castiel's actions. Familiar shyness Dean had seen in the future.

Dean's eyes, however; caught something else. There were children's drawings on the wall. Taped up and organized in a jumbled collage-like way. They were most likely given to the waitresses as 'tips' from the children. One picture though, it made it feel as though there were rocks in Dean's stomach. It was a picture of purple moon.

"Someone once told me that moon couldn't be purple, I told them to suck it."

Dean turned his head away quickly, hearing the voice in his head; he feared he'd explode if he looked at the picture for one more second, but when his curiosity got the better of him and he looked back again it wasn't a picture of a purple moon at all. It was a picture of goldfish.

"Are you okay Dean?" Sam asked, he'd been asking that a lot.

"Yeah," Dean swallowed hard, he couldn't tell Sam, not ever. "I'm fine."

Sam informed Dean that Gabriel had tipped off Castiel about another hunt. He'd been helping them for the past month. Dean was grateful. He'd seen the glassy look in Sam's eyes a few times. It had made his stomach hurt and his heart warm at the same time.

After they were done eating, Sam, Dean, and Castiel took off in the Impala towards their next hunt.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Two months after he woke up…  
\---------------------------  
Dean and Sam were driving to the next motel, another hunt under their belt. Castiel had been in Heaven for the past few days with Gabriel. They were still fixing what was left of the problems Metatron had caused. The raindrops from up above rained down on Dean's windshield, but his wipers kept his view clear. The endless road to nowhere seemed twice as long and they'd yet to find a good radio station besides 'hillbilly music' as Dean called it. The next song though, the one that made it through, made Dean almost jump out of his skin.

"The danger's in the anger and the hanging on to it, we are love, we are war…"

Dean quickly changed the station. Sam gave him a signature bitch face.

"You didn't even give it a chance," Sam complained. "It's the first song we've heard in miles!"

"Just trust me Sam," Dean sighed, tuning the knob. "Not that song. Now let's see if we can't find us some good old rock and roll."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Three months after he woke up…  
\-----------------------------  
Hunt after hunt had passed and Dean still felt hollow inside. The future loomed over his head like a weather balloon, ready to pop. Try as he might, he couldn't picture anything without seeing Holly dying. The car crash replaying in his mind like a bad horror movie. He seemed to pass the days now in a haze. Sam hadn't noticed too much, he'd chalked it up to Dean recovering from being in an almost four week coma. Castiel and Gabriel had been joining them on hunts on and off. The two angels had duties to attend to in Heaven.

Dean had spent some time alone on Bobby's land in between a hunt. He'd needed to. Bobby was long since gone, his house reduced to ash because of Leviathans. Dean had trudged around the blackened earth. He'd looked over at the soil and saw sprigs of grass. He even saw a few sprouts indicating future flowers. He took that as a good sign, if ever he'd seen one. Dean had gone into the woods behind Bobby's land and looked at the lake. It had been silent and still. It had yet to see the future. It had yet to swallow the secrets of a little girl that Dean was to pull from it. He'd walked over to the tire swing and touched it before pushing it a little to make it fly through the air and over the water.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean approached Gabriel one day too. Sam was out gathering intel at the nearest library and Castiel was off in Heaven again. Gabriel sat at the table in the latest ramshackle motel. He was going over lore as well.

"Hey Gabriel," Dean said with a shaky breath. "What do you know about Angelhounds?"

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Four months after he woke up…  
\----------------------------  
They were without a hunt for once. Dean sat peacefully in the motel room. He tapped his fingers lightly on the old wooden table and stared out the window. He thought about what he'd seen. Sure, all he could see was the crunch of the truck. He could only see the blood in his nightmares, but now that time had passed he could see so much more. He saw the Christmas he'd witnessed as if it were happening right in front of him. He could almost feel little Daniel in his arms and Holly dancing on his feet. He could see Sam and Gabriel happy and walking on the beach with their son and dog. Sam had wanted a dog his whole life. He heard Titan barking and the jingle of his dog tags. He could feel Castiel's face in his shoulder as they danced. Hell, he could feel the ring on his finger. Dean could feel the happiness and suddenly for the first time in months, it outweighed the sadness.

"Moving on, acceptance."

He now understood what Holly had said.

"So get this?" Sam burst through the door to their room. "A little girl—"

Sam went into the details about a haunted house about three hours from there. The ghost girl apparently was still there. She had yet to move on. Sam's excited look had Dean pumped for another hunt.

"What's the address?" Dean asked.

"2340 Maple Street." Sam said the state too. Dean froze as he reached for his duffel. He stopped and thought.

Here he was about to go on the hunt that would start it all. Castiel would get hurt. Sam would too. Gabriel would heal Sam and they'd stare at each with that look in their eyes. Castiel would kiss Dean. It was going to happen, if Dean walked out that door. It was like a rose and Dean was asking his hand to bleed by picking it. The rose being the future, but even if he bled the rose was still going to be beautiful. It wouldn't cease in its beauty. It would continue. The future would continue…Holly had taught him that.

With that in mind…Dean made his decision.

"Let's go." Dean smiled, meeting his brother's. The two brothers grabbed their duffel bags and shut off the lights. The keys to the car were in Sam's pocket and Dean had the motel keys ready to return to the owner. He looked at the room one last time; it was the last time he'd be sleeping in one. Dean's smile grew bigger and he shut the door. He and Sam took off in the Impala because finally there was a hunt, because finally there was THE hunt. Because, Dean thought, what was the future?

If he didn't go for it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed and I didn't make you cry too much :)

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are appreciated!


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